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"TEMPORAL    POWER" 


MARIE   CORELLI'S   ROMANCES 

The  Master-Christian 

A  Romance  of  Two  Worlds 

Vendetta 

Thelma 

Ardath 

The  Soul  of  Lilith 

Wormwood 

Barabbas 

The  Sorrows  of  Satan 


"Temporal  Power" 


A  STUDY  IN  SUPREMACY 


BY 

Marie   Corelli 

Author  of 

"  The  Master-Christian,"  "  Thelma,"  "Barabbas," 
"  Ardath,"  "  The  Sorrows  of  Satan,"  &c. 


#  <fe\b  w 

Lfrvo     ▼     UQV) 


NEW   TORK 

Dodd,  Mead  and  Company 

1902 


Copyright,  1902, 
By  Dodd,  Mead  and  Company. 


First  Edition  Published  August,  1902. 


SBntbcrsifg  IJkrsa : 
John  Wilson  and  Son,  Cambridge,  U.  S.  A. 


0%~ 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PACK 

I.     The  King's  Pleasaunce i 

II.  Majesty  Considers  and  Resolves  ....  13 

III.     A  Nation  or  a  Church? 27 

IV.     Sealed  Orders 41 

V.     "If  I  Loved  You!" 51 

VI.     Sergius  Thord 69 

VII.     The  Idealists 85 

VIII.     The  King's  Double 103 

IX.     The  Premier's  Signet 121 

X.     The  Islands 139 

XI.     "Gloria  —  In  Excelsis  !  " 153 

XII.     A  Sea  Princess 169 

XIII.  Secret  Service 184 

XIV.  The  King's  Veto 19s 

XV.     "Morganatic"  or — ? 213 

XVI.     The  Professor  Advises 227 

XVII.     An  "Honourable"  Statesman 234 

XVIII.     Royal  Lovers 245 

XIX.  Of  the  Corruption  of  the  State      .     .     .  256 

XX.     The  Scorn  of  Kings 276 

XXI.     An  Invitation  to  Court 302 

XXII.     A  Fair  Debutante 3X9 

XXIII.     The  King's  Defender 34° 


CHAPTER 

XXIV. 

XXV. 

XXVI. 

XXVII. 

XXVIII. 

XXIX. 

XXX. 

XXXI. 

XXXII. 

XXXIII. 

XXXIV. 


Contents 

PAGE 

A  Woman's  Reason 363 

"I  say  —  'Rome'!" 380 

"  One  Way  —  One  Woman  !  " 395 

The  Song  of  Freedom 412 

"Fate  gives  —  the  King!" 431 

The  Comrade  of  his  Foes 451 

King  and  Socialist 473 

A  Vote  for  Love 481 

Between  Two  Passions 494 

Sailing  to  the  Infinite 513 

Abdication 533 


s 


"TEMPORAL     POWER" 


CHAPTER    I 

THE    KING'S    PLEASAUNCE 

IN  the  beginning,"  so  we  are  told,  "  God  made  the 
heavens  and  the  earth." 
The  statement  is  simple  and  terse ;  it  is  evidently  in- 
tended to  be  wholly  comprehensive.  Its  decisive,  almost 
abrupt  tone  would  seem  to  forbid  either  question  or  ar- 
gument. The  old-world  narrator  of  the  sublime  event 
thus  briefly  chronicled  was  a  poet  of  no  mean  quality, 
though  moved  by  the  natural  conceit  of  man  to  give  un- 
due importance  to  the  earth  as  his  own  particular  habi- 
tation. The  perfect  confidence  with  which  he  explains 
'  God  '  as  making  '  two  great  lights,  the  greater  light  to 
rule  the  day,  the  lesser  light  to  rule  the  night,'  is  touch- 
ing to  the  verge  of  pathos ;  and  the  additional  remark 
which  he  throws  in,  as  it  were  casually,  — '  He  made  the 
stars  also,'  cannot  but  move  us  to  admiration.  How  child- 
like the  simplicity  of  the  soul  which  could  so  venture  to 
deal  with  the  inexplicable  and  tremendous  problem  of  the 
Universe !  How  self-centred  and  sure  the  faith  which 
could  so  arrange  the  work  of  Infinite  and  Eternal  forces 
to  suit  its  own  limited  intelligence !  It  is  easy  and  natural 
to  believe  that '  God,'  or  an  everlasting  Power  of  Goodness 
and  Beauty  called  by  that  name,  '  created  the  heavens  and 
the  earth,'  but  one  is  often  tempted  to  think  that  an  alto- 
gether different  and  rival  element  must  have  been  con- 
cerned in  the  making  of  Man.  For  the  heavens  and  the 
earth  are  harmonious  ;  man  is  a  discord.  And  not  only  is 
he  a  discord  in  himself,  but  he  takes  pleasure  in  producing 
and  multiplying  discords.     Often,  with  the  least  possible 


2  "Temporal  Power' 

amount  of  education,  and  on  the  slightest  provocation,  he 
mentally  sets  Himself,  and  his  trivial  personal  opinion  on 
religion,  morals,  and  government,  in  direct  opposition  to 
the  immutable  laws  of  the  Universe,  and  the  attitude  he 
assumes  towards  the  mysterious  Cause  and  Original 
Source  of  Life  is  nearly  always  one  of  three  things ; 
contradiction,  negation,  or  defiance.  From  the  first  to  the 
last  he  torments  himself  with  inventions  to  outwit  or  sub- 
due Nature,  and  in  the  end  dies,  utterly  defeated.  His 
civilizations,  his  dynasties,  his  laws,  his  manners,  his  cus- 
toms, are  all  doomed  to  destruction  and  oblivion  as  com- 
pletely as  an  ant-hill  which  exists  one  night  and  is  trodden 
down  the  next.  Forever  and  forever  he  works  and  plans 
in  vain  ;  forever  and  forever  Nature,  the  visible  and  ac- 
tive Spirit  of  God,  rises  up  and  crushes  her  puny  rebel. 

There  must  be  good  reason  for  this  ceaseless  waste  of 
human  life,  —  this  constant  and  steady  obliteration  of 
man's  attempts,  since  there  can  be  no  Effect  without 
Cause.  It  is,  as  if  like  children  at  a  school,  we  were  set 
a  certain  sum  to  do,  and  because  we  blunder  foolishly 
over  it  and  add  it  up  to  a  wrong  total,  it  is  again  and 
again  wiped  off  the  blackboard,  and  again  and  again  re- 
written for  our  more  careful  consideration.  Possibly  the 
secret  of  our  failure  to  conquer  Nature  lies  in  ourselves, 
and  our  own  obstinate  tendency  to  work  in  only  one 
groove  of  what  we  term  'advancement,'  —  namely  our 
material  self-interest.  Possibly  we  might  be  victors  if 
we  would,  even  to  the  very  vanquishment  of  Death ! 

So  many  of  us  think,  —  and  so  thought  one  man  of 
sovereign  influence  in  this  world's  affairs  as,  seated  on  the 
terrace  of  a  Royal  palace  fronting  seaward,  he  pondered 
his  own  life's  problem  for  perhaps  the  thousandth  time. 

"  What  is  the  use  of  thinking?"  asked  a  wit  at  the 
court  of  Louis  XVI.  "  It  only  intensifies  the  bad  opinion 
you  have  of  others,  —  or  of  yourself !  " 

He  found  this  saying  true.  Thinking  is  a  pernicious 
habit  in  which  very  great  personages  are  not  supposed  to 
indulge ;  and  in  his  younger  days  he  had  avoided  it.  He 
had  allowed  the  time  to  take  him  as  it  found  him,  and  had 
gone  with  it  unresistingly  wherever  it  had  led.  It  was  the 
best  way ;  the  wisest  way ;  the  way  Solomon  found  most 
congenial,    despite   its   end    in    '  vanity   and   vexation   of 


The  King's  Pleasaunce  3 

spirit.'  But  with  the  passing  of  the  years  a  veil  had  been 
dropped  over  that  path  of  roses,  hiding  it  altogether  from 
his  sight ;  and  another  veil  rose  inch  by  inch  before  him] 
disclosing  a  new  and  less  joyous  prospect  on  which  he 
was  not  too-well-pleased  to  look. 

The  sea,  stretching  out  in  a  broad  shining  expanse  op- 
posite to  him,  sparkled  dancingly  in  the  warm  sunshine, 
and  the  snowy  sails  of  many  yachts  and  pleasure-boats 
dipped  now  and  again  into  the  glittering  waves  like  white 
birds  skimming  over  the  tiny  flashing  foam-crests.  Daz- 
zling and  well-nigh  blinding  to  his  eyes  were  the  burn- 
ing glow  and  exquisite  radiance  of  colour  which  seemed 
melted  like  gold  and  sapphire  into  that  bright  half-circle 
of  water  and  sky,  —  beautiful,  and  full  of  a  dream-like 
evanescent  quality,  such  as  marks  all  the  loveliest  scenes 
and  impressions  of  our  life  on  earth.  There  was  a  subtle 
scent  of  violets  in  the  air,  —  and  a  gardener,  cutting 
sheafs  of  narcissi  from  the  edges  of  the  velvety  green 
banks  which  rolled  away  in  smooth  undulations  upward 
from  the  terrace  to  the  wider  extent  of  the  palace  pleas- 
aunce beyond,  scattered  such  perfume  with  his  snipping 
shears  as  might  have  lured  another  Proserpine  from  Hell. 
Cluster  after  cluster  of  white  blooms,  carefully  selected 
for  the  adornment  of  the  Royal  apartments,  he  laid  beside 
him  on  the  grass,  not  presuming  to  look  in  the  direction 
where  that  other  Workman  in  the  ways  of  life  sat  silent 
and  absorbed  in  thought.  That  other,  in  his  own  long- 
practised  manner,  feigned  not  to  be  aware  of  his  depen- 
dant's proximity,  —  and  in  this  fashion  they  twain  — ■ 
human  beings  made  of  the  same  clay  and  relegated  to  the 
same  dust  —  gave  sport  to  the  Fates  by  playing  at  Sham 
with  Heaven  and  themselves.  Custom,  law,  and  all  the 
paraphernalia  of  civilization,  had  set  the  division  and 
marked  the  boundary  between  them,  —  had  forbidden  the 
lesser  in  world's  rank  to  speak  to  the  greater,  unless 
the  greater  began  conversation,  —  had  equally  forbidden 
the  greater  to  speak  to  the  lesser  lest  such  condescension 
should  inflate  the  lesser's  vanity  so  much  as  to  make  him 
obnoxious  to  his  fellows.  Thus,  —  of  two  men,  who,  if 
left  to  nature  would  have  been  merely  men,  and  sincere 
enough  at  that,  —  man  himself  had  made  two  pretenders, 
—  the  one  as  gardener,  the  other  as  —  King !    The  white 


5> 


4  "  Temporal  Power 

narcissi  lying  on  the  grass,  and  preparing  to  die  sweetly, 
like  sacrificed  maiden-victims  of  the  flower-world,  could 
turn  true  faces  to  the  God  who  made  them,  —  but  the 
men  at  that  particular  moment  of  time  had  no  real  fea- 
tures ready  for  God's  inspection,  —  only  masks. 

"  C'est  mon  metier  d'etre  Roi !  "  So  said  one  of  the 
many  dead  and  gone  martyrs  on  the  rack  of  sovereignty. 
Alas,  poor  soul,  thou  would'st  have  been  happier  in  any 
other  '  metier  '  I  warrant !  For  kingship  is  a  profession 
which  cannot  be  abandoned  for  a  change  of  humour,  or 
cast  aside  in  light  indifference  and  independence  because 
a  man  is  bored  by  it  and  would  have  something  new.  It 
is  a  routine  and  drudgery  to  which  some  few  are  born, 
for  which  they  are  prepared,  to  which  they  must  devote 
their  span  of  life,  and  in  which  they  must  die.  '  How 
shall  we  pass  the  day  ?  "  asked  a  weary  Roman  emperor, 
"  I  am  even  tired  of  killing  my  enemies !  " 

'  Even  '  that !  And  the  strangest  part  of  it  is,  that  there 
are  people  who  would  give  all  their  freedom  and  peace  of 
mind  to  occupy  for  a  few  years  an  uneasy  throne,  and 
who  actually  live  under  the  delusion  that  a  monarch  is 
happy ! 

The  gardener  soon  finished  his  task  of  cutting  the  nar- 
cissi, and  though  he  might  not,  without  audacity,  look 
at  his  Sovereign-master,  his  Sovereign-master  looked  at 
him,  furtively,  from  under  half-closed  eyelids,  watching 
him  as  he  bound  the  blossoms  together  carefully,  with  the 
view  of  giving  as  little  trouble  as  possible  to  those  whose 
duty  it  would  be  to  arrange  them  for  the  Royal  pleasure. 
His  work  done,  he  walked  quickly,  yet  with  a  certain 
humble  stealthiness,  —  thus  admitting  his  consciousness 
of  that  greater  presence  than  hrs  own,  —  down  a  broad 
garden  walk  beyond  the  terrace  towards  a  private  en- 
trance to  the  palace,  and  there  disappeared. 

The  King  was  left  alone,  —  or  apparently  so,  for  to 
speak  truly,  he  was  never  alone.  An  equerry,  a  page-in- 
waiting, — or  what  was  still  more  commonplace  as  well  as 
ominous,  a  detective,  —  lurked  about  him,  ever  near,  ever 
ready  to  spring  on  any  unknown  intruder,  or  to  answer 
his   slightest    call. 

But  to  the  limited  extent  of  the  solitude  allowed  to 
kings,  this  man  was  alone,  —  alone  for  a  brief  space  to 


The  King's  Pleasaunce  5 

consider,  as  he  had  informed  his  secretary,  certain  docu- 
ments awaiting  his  particular  and  private  perusal. 

The  marble  pavilion  in  which  he  sat  had  been  built  by 
his  father,  the  late  King',  for  his  own  pleasure,  when 
pleasure  was  more  possible  than  it  is  now.  Its  slender 
Ionic  columns,  its  sculptured  friezes,  its  painted  ceilings, 
all  expressed  a  gaiety,  grace  and  beauty  gone  from  the 
world,  perchance  for  ever.  Open  on  three  sides  to  the 
living  picture  of  the  ocean,  crimson  and  white  roses 
clambered  about  it,  and  tall  plume-like  mimosa  shook 
fragrance  from  its  golden  blossoms  down  every  breath 
of  wind.  The  costly  table  on  which  this  particular  Maj- 
esty 'of  a  nation  occasionally  wrote  his  letters,  would,  if 
sold,  have  kept  a  little  town  in  food  for  a  year,  —  the  rich 
furs  at  his  feet  would  have  bought  bread  for  hundreds  of 
starving  families,  —  and  every  delicious  rose  that  nodded 
its  dainty  head  towards  him  with  the  breeze  would  have 
given  an  hour's  joy  to  a  sick  child.  Socialists  say  this 
kind  of  thing  with  wildly  eloquent  fervour,  and  blame  all 
kings  in  passionate  rhodomontade  for  the  tables,  the  furs 
and  the  roses,  —  but  they  forget  —  it  is  not  the  sad  and 
weary  kings  who  care  for  these  or  any  luxuries,  — -  they 
would  be  far  happier  without  them.  It  is  the  People  who 
insist  on  having  kings  that  should  be  blamed,  —  not  the 
monarchs  themselves.  A  king  is  merely  the  people's 
Prisoner  of  State,  —  they  chain  him  to  a  throne,  —  they 
make  him  clothe  himself  in  sundry  fantastic  forms  of  at- 
tire and  exhibit  his  person  thus  decked  out,  for  their 
pleasure, — they  calculate,  often  with  greed  and  grudging, 
how  much  it  will  cost  to  feed  him  and  keep  him  in  proper 
state  on  the  national  premises,  that  they  may  use  him  at 
their  will,  —  but  they  seldom  or  never  seem  to  remember 
the  fact  that  there  is  a  Man  behind  the  King ! 

It  is  not  easy  to  govern  nowadays,  since  there  is  no  real 
autocracy,  and  no  strong  soul  likely  to  create  one.  But  the 
original  idea  of  sovereignty  was  grand  and  wise ;  —  the 
strongest  man  and  bravest,  raised  aloft  on  shields  and 
bucklers  with  warrior  cries  of  approval  from  the  people 
who  voluntarily  chose  him  as  their  leader  in  battle,  — 
their  utmost  Head  of  affairs.  Progress  has  demolished 
this  ideal,  with  many  others  equally  fine  and  inspiring; 
and  now  all  kings  are  so,  by  right  of  descent  merely. 


"  Temporal  Power 


>> 


Whether  they  be  infirm  or  palsied,  weak  or  wise,  sane  or 
crazed,  still  are  they  as  of  old  elected ;  only  no  more  as 
the  Strongest,  but  simply  as  the  Sign-posts  of  a  tradi- 
tional bygone  authority. 

This  King  however,  here  written  of,  was  not  deficient 
in  either  mental  or  physical  attributes.  His  outward  look 
and  bearing  betokened  him  as  far  more  fit  to  be  lifted  in 
triumph  on  the  shoulders  of  his  battle-heroes,  a  real  and 
visible  Man,  than  to  play  a  more  or  less  cautiously  inac- 
tive part  in  the  modern  dumb-show  of  Royalty.  Well- 
built  and  muscular,  with  a  compact  head  regally  poised  on 
broad  shoulders,  and  finely  formed  features  which  indi- 
cated in  their  firm  modelling  strong  characteristics  of 
pride,  indomitable  resolution  and  courage,  he  had  an  air 
of  rare  and  reposeful  dignity  which  made  him  much  more 
impressive  as  a  personality  than  many  of  his  fellow-sov- 
ereigns. His  expression  was  neither  foolish  nor  sensual, 
—  his  clear  dark  grey  eyes  were  sane  and  steady  in  their 
regard  and  had  no  tricks  of  shiftiness.  As  an  ordinary 
man  of  the  people  his  appearance  would  have  been  dis- 
tinctive, —  as  a  King,  it  was  remarkable. 

He  had  of  course  been  called  handsome  in  his  child- 
hood, —  what  heir  to  a  Throne  ever  lived  that  was  not 
beautiful,  to  bis  nurse  at  least?  —  and  in  his  early  youth 
he  had  been  grossly  flattered  for  his  cleverness  as  well  as 
his  good  looks.  Every  small  attempt  at  witticism, — every 
poor  joke  he  could  invent,  adapt  or  repeat,  was  laughed 
at  approvingly  in  a  chorus  of  admiration  by  smirking  hu- 
man creatures,  male  and  female,  who  bowed  and  bobbed 
up  and  down  before  the  lad  like  strange  dolphins  disport- 
ing themselves  on  dry  land.  Whereat  he  grew  to  despise 
the  dolphins,  and  no  wonder.  When  he  was  about  seven- 
teen or  eighteen  he  began  to  ask  odd  questions  of  one  of 
his  preceptors,  a  learned  and  ceremonious  personage  who, 
considering  the  extent  of  his  certificated  wisdom,  was  yet 
so  singularly  servile  of  habit  and  disposition  that  he  might 
have  won  a  success  on  the  stage  as  Chief  Toady  in  a  bur- 
lesque of  Court  life.  He  was  a  pale,  thin  old  man,  with  a 
wizened  face  set  well  back  amid  wisps  of  white  hair,  and 
a  scraggy  throat  which  asserted  its  working  muscles  vis- 
ibly whenever  he  spoke,  laughed  or  took  food.  His  way 
of  shaking  hands  expressed  his  moral  flabbiness  in  the 


The  King's  Pleasaunce  7 

general  dampness,  looseness  and  limpness  of  the  act,  — 
not  that  he  often  shook  hands  with  his  pupil,  for  though 
that  pupil  was  only  a  boy  made  of  ordinary  flesh  and 
blood  like  other  boys,  he  was  nevertheless  heir  to  a 
Throne,  and  in  strict  etiquette  even  friendly  liberties  were 
not  to  be  too  frequently  taken  with  such  an  Exalted  little 
bit  of  humanity.  The  lad  himself,  however,  had  a  certain 
mischievous  delight  in  making  him  perform  this  courtesy, 
and  being  young  and  vigorous,  would  often  squeeze  the 
old  gentleman's  hesitating  fingers  in  his  strong  clasp  so 
energetically  as  to  cause  him  the  severest  pain.  Student 
of  many  philosophies  as  he  was,  the  worthy  pedagogue 
would  have  cried  out,  or  sworn  profane  oaths  in  his 
agony,  had  it  been  any  other  than  the  '  Heir- Apparent ' 
who  thus  made  him  wince  with  torture,  —  but  as  matters 
stood,  he  merely  smiled  —  and  bore  it.  The  young  rascal 
of  a  prince  smiled  too,  —  taking  note  of  his  obsequious 
hypocrisy,  which  served  an  inquiring  mind  with  quite  as 
good  a  field  for  logical  speculation  as  any  problem  in 
Euclid.  And  he  went  on  with  his  questions,  —  questions, 
which  if  not  puzzling,  were  at  least  irritating  enough  to 
have  secured  him  a  rap  on  the  knuckles  from  his  tutor's 
cane,  had  he  been  a  grocer's  lad  instead  of  the  eldest  son 
of  a  Royal  house. 

'  Professor,"  he  said  on  one  occasion,  "  What  is 
man  ?  " 

"  Man,"  replied  the  professor  sedately,  "  is  an  intelli- 
gent and  reasoning  being,  evolved  by  natural  processes  of 
creation  into  his  present  condition  of  supremacy." 

"  What  is  Supremacy?" 

"  The  state  of  being  above,  or  superior  to,  the  rest  of 
the  animal  creation." 

"  And  is  he  so  superior?  " 

"  He  is  generally  so  admitted." 

"  Is  my  father  a  man?  " 

"  Assuredly  !     The  question  is  superfluous." 

"  What  makes  him  a  King  ?  " 

'  Royal  birth  and  the  hereditary  right  to  his  great 
position." 

'  Then  if  man  is  in  a  condition  of  supremacy  over  the 
rest  of  creation,  a  king  is  more  than  a  man  if  he  is  al- 
lowed to  rule  men  ?  " 


8  "Temporal  Power" 

"  Sir,  pardon  me !  —  a  king  is  not  more  than  a  man,  but 
men  choose  him  as  their  ruler  because  he  is  worthy." 

"In  what  way  is  he  worthy?  Simply  because  he  is 
born  as  I  am,  heir  to  a  throne  ?  " 

"  Precisely." 

"  He  might  be  an  idiot  or  a  cripple,  a  fool  or  a  coward, 
—  he  would  still  be  King?" 

"  Most  indubitably." 

;'  So  that  if  he  were  a  madman,  he  would  continue  to 
hold  supremacy  over  a  nation,  though  his  groom  might  be 
sane?  " 

'  Your  Royal  Highness  pursues  the  question  with  an 
unwise  flippancy  ;  "  —  remonstrated  the  professor  with  a 
pained,  forced  smile.  ;'  If  an  idiot  or  a  madman  were  un- 
fortunately born  to  a  throne,  a  regency  would  be  ap- 
pointed to  control  state  affairs,  but  the  heir  would,  in 
spite  of  natural  incapability,  remain  the  lawful  king." 

"  A  strange  sovereignty !  "  said  the  young  prince  care- 
lessly. "  And  a  still  stranger  patience  in  the  people  who 
would  tolerate  it!  Yet  over  all  men,  —  kings,  madmen, 
and  idiots  alike,  —  there  is  another  ruling  force,  called 
God?" 

'  There  is  a  force,"  admitted  the  professor  dubiously — 
'  But  in  the  present  forward  state  of  things  it  would  not 
be  safe  to  attempt  to  explain  the  nature  of  that  force, 
and  for  the  benefit  of  the  illiterate  masses  we  call  it  God. 
A  national  worship  of  something  superior  to  themselves 
has  always  been  proved  politic  and  necessary  for  the 
people.  I  have  not  at  any  time  resolved  myself  as  to  why 
it  should  be  so;   but  so  it  is." 

'  Then  man,  despite  his  '  supremacy  '  must  have  some- 
thing more  supreme  than  himself  to  keep  him  in  order,  if 
it  be  only  a  fetish  wherewith  to  tickle  his  imagination  ?  " 
suggested  the  prince  with  a  touch  of  satire,  — "  Even 
kings  must  bow,  or  pretend  to  bow,  to  the  King  of  kings  ?" 
'  Sir,  you  have  expressed  the  fact  with  felicity  ;  "  re- 
plied the  professor  gravely  —  "  His  Majesty,  your  august 
father,  attends  public  worship  with  punctilious  regularity, 
and  you  are  accustomed  to  accompany  him.  It  is  a  rule 
which  you  will  find  necessary  to  keep  in  practice,  as  an 
example  to  your  subjects  when  you  are  called  upon  to 
reign."    . 


The  King's  Pleasaunce  9 

The  young  man  raised  his  eyebrows  deprecatingly,  with 
a  slight  ironical  smile,  and  dropped  the  subject.  But  the 
learned  professor  as  in  duty  bound,  reported  the  conver- 
sation to  his  pupil's  father ;  with  the  additional  observa- 
tion that  he  feared,  he  very  humbly  and  respectfully 
feared,  that  the  developing  mind  of  the  prince  appeared 
undesirably  disposed  towards  discursive  philosophies, 
which  were  wholly  unnecessary  for  the  position  he  was 
destined  to  occupy.  Whereupon  the  King-  took  his  son 
to  task  on  the  subject  with  a  mingling  of  kindness  and 
humour. 

"  Do  not  turn  philosopher !  "  he  said  —  "  For  philoso- 
phy will  not  so  much  content  you  with  life,  as  with  death  ! 
Philosophy  will  chill  your  best  impulses  and  most  gener- 
ous enthusiasms,  —  it  will  make  you  over-cautious  and 
doubtful  of  your  friends,  —  it  will  cause  you  to  be  indif- 
ferent to  women  in  the  plural,  but  it  will  hand  you  over, 
a  weak  and  helpless  victim  to  the  one  woman,  —  when  she 
comes,  —  as  she  is  bound  to  come.  There  is  no  one  so 
hopelessly  insane  as  a  philosopher  in  love !  Love  women, 
but  not  a  woman  !  " 

"  In  so  doing  I  should  follow  the  wisest  of  examples, — 
yours,  Sir !  "  replied  the  prince  with  a  familiarity  more 
tender  than  audacious,  for  his  father  was  a  man  of  fine 
presence  and  fascinating  manner,  and  knew  well  the  ex- 
tent of  his  power  to  charm  and  subjugate  the  fairer  sex, 
—  "  But  I  have  a  fancy  that  love,  ■ —  if  it  exists  anywhere 
outside  the  dreams  of  "the  poets,  —  is  unknown  to  kings." 

The  monarch  bent  his  brows  frowningly,  and  his  eyes 
were  full  of  a  deep  and  bitter  melancholy. 

"You  mistake!''1  he  said  slowly  —  "Love,  —  and  by 
that  name  I  mean  a  wholly  different  thing  from  Passion, 
■ — comes  to  kings  as  to  commoners,  —  but  whereas  the 
commoner  may  win  it  if  he  can,  the  king  must  reject  it. 
But  it  comes,  —  and  leaves  a  blank  in  the  proudest  life 
when  it  goes  !  " 

He  turned  away  abruptly,  and  the  conversation  was  not 
again  resumed.  But  when  he  died,  those  who  prepared 
his  body  for  burial,  found  a  gold  chain  round  his  neck, 
holding  the  small  medallion  portrait  of  a  woman,  and  a 
curl  of  soft  fair  hair.  Needless  to  say  the  portrait  was 
not  that  of  the  late  Queen-Consort,  who  had  died  some 


io  "Temporal  Power' 

years  before  her  Royal  spouse,  nor  was  the  hair  hers,  — 
but  when  they  brought  the  relic  to  the  new  King,  he  laid 
it  back  with  his  own  hands  on  his  father's  lifeless  breast, 
and  let  it  go  into  the  grave  with  him.  For,  being  no 
longer  the  crowned  Servant  of  the  State,  he  had  the  right 
as  a  mere  dead  man,  to  the  possession  of  his  love-secret. 

So  at  least  thought  his  son  and  successor,  who  at  times 
was  given  to  wondering  whether  if,  like  his  father,  he  had 
such  a  secret  he  would  be  able  to  keep  it  as  closely  and  as 
well.  He  thought  not.  It  would  be  scarcely  worth  while. 
It  can  only  be  the  greatest  love  that  is  always  silent,  — ■ 
and  in  the  greatest,  —  that  is,  the  ideal  and  self-renounc- 
ing love,  —  he  did  not  believe ;  though  in  his  own  life's 
experience  he  had  been  given  a  proof  that  such  love  is 
possible  to  women,  if  not  to  men.  When  he  was  about 
twenty,  he  had  loved,  or  had  imagined  he  loved  a  girl,  — 
a  pretty  creature,  who  did  not  know  him  as  a  prince  at  all, 
but  simply  as  a  college  student.  He  used  to  walk  with 
her  hand  in  hand  through  the  fields  by  the  river,  and 
gather  wild  flowers  for  her  to  wear  in  her  little  white 
bodice.  She  had  shy  soft  eyes,  and  a  timid,  yet  trusting 
look,  full  of  tenderness  and  pathos.  Moved  by  a  romantic 
sense  of  honour  and  chivalry,  he  promised  to  marry  her, 
and  thereupon  wrote  an  impulsive  letter  to  his  father  in- 
forming him  of  his  intention.  Of  course  he  was  sum- 
moned  home  from  college  at  once,  —  he  was  reminded  of 
his  high  destiny  —  of  the  Throne  that  would  be  his  if  he 
lived  to  occupy  it,  —  of  the  great  and  serious  responsibili- 
ties awaiting  him, — and  of  how  impossible  it  was  that  the 
Heir-Apparent  to  the  Crown  should  marry  a  commoner. 

"  Why  not?"  he  cried  passionately  —  "  If  she  be  good 
and  true  she  is  as  fit  to  be  a  queen  as  any  woman  royally 
born !     She  is  a  queen  already  in  her  own  right ! '' 

But  while  he  was  being  argued  with  and  controlled  by 
all  the  authorities  concerned  in  king's  business,  his  little 
sweetheart  herself  put  an  end  to  the  matter.  Her  parents 
told  her  all  unpreparedly,  and  with  no  doubt  unnecessary 
harshness,  the  real  position  of  the  college  lad  with  whom 
she  had  wandered  in  the  fields  so  confidingly ;  and  in  the 
bewilderment  of  her  poor  little  broken  heart  and  puzzled 
brain,  she  gave  herself  to  the  river  by  whose  flowering 
banks   she  had  sworn  her  maiden  vows,  —  though  she 


The  King's  Pleasaunce  1 1 

knew  it  not,  —  to  her  future  King ;  and  so,  drowning  her 
life  and  love  together,  made  a  piteous  exi':  from  all  diffi- 
culty. Before  she  went  forth  to  die,  she  wrote  a  farewell 
to  her  Royal  lover,  posting  the  letter  herself  on  her  way 
to  the  river,  and,  by  the  merest  chance  he  received  it 
without  a  spy's  intervention.  It  was  but  one  line,  scrawled 
in  a  round  youthful  hand,  and  blotted  with  many  tears. 

"  Sir my   love ! forgive   me  !  " 

It  would  be  unwise  to  say  what  that  little  scrap  of  ill- 
formed  writing  cost  the  heir  to  a  throne  when  he  heard 
how  she  had  died,  —  or  how  he  raged  and  swore  and 
wept.  It  was  the  first  Wrong  forced  on  him  as  Right,  by 
the  laws  of  the  realm  ;  and  he  was  young  and  generous 
and  honest,  and  not  hardened  to  those  laws  then.  Their 
iniquity  and  godlessness  appeared  to  him  in  plain  ugly 
colours  undisguised.  Since  that  time  he  had  perforce 
fallen  into  the  habit  and  routine  of  his  predecessors, 
though  he  was  not  altogether  so  '  constitutional  '  a  sov- 
ereign as  his  father  had  been.  He  had  something  of  the 
spirit  of  one  who  had  occupied  his  throne  five  hundred 
years  before  him ;  when  strength  and  valour  and  wit  and 
boldness,  gave  more  kings  to  the  world  than  came  by 
heritage.  He  did  unconventional  things  now  and  then ; 
to  the  grief  of  flunkeys,  and  the  alarm  of  Court  parasites. 
But  his  kingdom  was  of  the  South,  where  hot  blood  is 
recognized  and  excused,  and  fiery  temper  more  admired 
than  censured,  and  where, — so  far  as  social  matters  went, 
—  his  word,  whether  kind,  cold,  or  capricious,  was  suffi- 
cient to  lead  in  any  direction  that  large  flock  of  the  silly 
sheep  of  fashion  who  only  exist  to  eat,  and  to  be  eaten. 
Sometimes  he  longed  to  throw  himself  back  into  bygone 
centuries  and  stand  as  his  earliest  ancestor  stood,  sword 
in  hand,  on  a  height  overlooking  the  battle-field,  watching 
the  swaying  rush  of  combat,  —  the  glitter  of  spears  and 
axes  —  the  sharp  flight  of  arrows  —  the  tossing  banners, 
the  grinding  chariots,  the  flying  dust  and  carnage  of  men ! 
There  was  something  to  fight  for  in  those  days,  —  there 
was  no  careful  binding  up  of  wounds,  —  no  provision  for 
the  sick  or  the  mutilated,  —  nothing,  nothing,  but  '  Vic- 
tory or  Death !  '  How  much  grander,  how  much  finer 
the  old  fierce  ways  of  war  than  now,  when  any  soldier 
wounded,  may  write  the  details  of  his  bayonet-scratch  or 


12  "Temporal  Power' 

bullet-hole  to  the  cheap  press,  and  the  surgeon  prys  about 
with  Rontgen-ray  paraphernalia  and  scalpel,  to  discover 
how  much  or  how  little  escape  from  dissolution  a  man's 
soul  has  had  in  the  shock  of  contest  with  his  foe!  Of 
a  truth  these  are  paltry  days !  —  and  paltry  days  breed 
paltry  men.  Afraid  of  sickness^afraid  of  death,  afraid  of 
poverty,  afraid  of  offences,  afraid  to  think,  afraid  to 
speak,  Alan  in  the  present  era  of  his  boasted  '  progress ' 
resembles  nothing  so  much  as  a  whipped  child,  —  cower- 
ing under  the  outstretched  arm  of  Heaven  and  waiting  in 
whimpering  terror  for  the  next  fall  of  the  scourge.  And 
it  is  on  this  point  especially,  that  the  monarch  who  takes 
part  in  this  unhesitating  chronicle  of  certain  thoughts  and 
movements  hidden  out  of  sight,  —  yet  deeply  felt  in  the 
under-silences  of  the  time,  —  may  claim  to  be  unconven- 
tional ;  —  he  was  afraid  of  nothing,  —  not  even  of  him- 
self as  King! 


CHAPTER    II 

MAJESTY    CONSIDERS    AND    RESOLVES 

THE  little  episode  of  his  first  love,  combined  with  his 
ungovernable  fury  and  despair  at  its  tragic  conclu- 
sion, had  of  course  the  natural  result  common  in  such  a 
case,  to  the  fate  of  all  who  are  destined  to  occupy  thrones. 
A  marriage  was  'arranged'  for  him ;  and  pressing  reasons 
of  state  were  urged  for  the  quick  enforcement  and  carry- 
ing out  of  the  '  arrangement.'  The  daughter  of  a  neigh- 
bouring potentate  was  elected  to  the  honour  of  his 
alliance,  —  a  beautiful  girl  with  a  pale,  cold  clear-cut 
face  and  brilliant  eyes,  whose  smile  penetrated  the  soul 
with  an  icy  chill,  and  whose  very  movement,  noiseless 
and  graceful  as  it  was,  reminded  one  irresistibly  of  slowly 
drifting  snow.  She  was  attended  to  the  altar,  as  he  was, 
by  all  the  ministers  and  plenipotentiaries  of  state  that 
could  possibly  be  gathered  together  from  the  four  quar- 
ters of  the  globe  as  witnesses  to  the  immolation  of  two 
young  human  lives  on  the  grim  sacrificial  stone  of  a  Dy- 
nasty ;  and  both  prince  and  princess  accepted  their  fate 
with  mutually  silent  and  civil  resignation.  Their  por- 
traits, set  facing  each  other  with  a  silly  smile,  or  taken  in 
a  linked  arm-in-arm  attitude  against  a  palatial  canvas 
background,  appeared  in  every  paper  published  through- 
out the  world,  and  every  scribbler  on  the  Press  took 
special  pains  to  inform  the  easily  deluded  public  that  the 
Royal  union  thus  consummated  was  '  a  romantic  love- 
match.'  For  the  People  still  have  heart  and  conscience, 
—  the  People,  taken  in  the  rough  lump  of  humanity,  still 
believe  in  love,  in  faith,  in  the  dear  sweetness  of  home 
affections.  The  politicians  who  make  capital  out  of  popu- 
lar emotion,  know  this  well  enough,  —  and  are  careful  to 
play  the  tune  of  their  own   personal   interest  upon   the 


1 4-  "Temporal  Power1 

gamut  of  National  Sentiment  in  every  stump  oration. 
For  how  terrible  it  would  be  if  the  People  of  any  land 
learned  to  judge  their  preachers  and  teachers  by  the  lines 
of  fact  alone !  Inasmuch  as  fact  would  convincingly 
prove  to  them  that  their  leaders  prospered  and  grew  rich, 
while  they  stayed  poor ;  and  they  might  take  to  puzzling 
out  reasons  for  this  inadequacy  which  would  inevitably 
cause  trouble.  For  this,  and  divers  other  motives  politic, 
the  rosy  veil  of  sentiment  is  always  delicately  flung  more 
or  less  over  every  new  move  on  the  national  debating- 
ground,  —  and  whether  marriageable  princes  and  prin- 
cesses love  or  loathe  each  other,  still,  when  they  come  to 
wed,  the  words  '  romantic  love-match  '  must  be  thrown  in 
by  an  obliging  Press  in  order  to  satisfy  the  tender  scruples 
of  a  people  who  would  certainly  not  abide  the  thought  of 
a  Royal  marriage  contracted  in  mutual  aversion.  Thus 
much  soundness  and  right  principle  there  is  at  least,  in 
what  some  superfine  persons  call  the  '  common  '  folk,  — 
the  folk  whose  innermost  sense  of  truth  and  straight- 
forwardness, not  even  the  proudest  statesman  dare 
outrage. 

But  with  what  unuttered  and  unutterable  scorn  the 
youthful  victims  of  the  Royal  pairing  accepted  the  news- 
paper-assurances of  the  devoted  tenderness  they  enter- 
tained for  each  other !  With  what  wearied  impatience 
both  prince  and  princess  received  the  '  Wedding  Odes  ' 
and  '  Epithalamiums,'  written  by  first-class  and  no-class 
versifiers  for  the  occasion !  What  shoals  of  these  were 
cast  aside  unread,  to  occupy  the  darkest  dingiest  corner 
of  one  of  the  Royal  '  refuse  '  libraries !  The  writers  of 
such  things  expected  great  honours,  no  doubt,  each  and 
every  man-jack  of  them,  —  but  apart  from  the  fact  that 
the  greatest  literature  has  always  lived  without  any  offi- 
cial recognition  or  endowment  from  kings,  —  being  in 
itself  the  supremest  sovereignty,  —  poets  and  rhymesters 
alike  never  seem  to  realize  that  no  one  is,  or  can  be,  so 
sickened  by  an  '  Ode  '  as  the  man  or  woman  to  whom  it 
is  written ! 

The  brilliant  marriage  ceremony  concluded,  the  august 
bride  and  bridegroom  took  their  departure,  amid  franti- 
cally cheering  crowds,  for  a  stately  castle  standing  high 
among  the  mountains,  a  truly  magnificent  pile,  which  had 


Majesty  Considers  and  Resolves     15 

been  placed  at  their  disposal  for  the  '  honeymoon,'  by  one 
of  the  wealthiest  of  the  King's  subjects,  —  and  there, 
as  soon  as  equerries,  grooms-in-waiting,  flunkeys,  and 
every  other  sort  of  indoor  and  outdoor  retainer  would 
consent  to  leave  them  alone  together,  the  Royal  wife 
came  to  her  Royal  husband,  and  asked  to  be  allowed  to 
speak  a  few  words  on  the  subject  of  their  marriage,  '  for 
the  first  and  last  time,'  said  she,  with  a  straight  glance 
from  the  cold  moonlight  mystery  of  her  eyes.  Beautiful 
at  all  times,  her  beauty  was  doubly  enhanced  by  the  regal 
attitude  and  expression  she  unconsciously  assumed  as  she 
made  the  request,  and  the  prince,  critically  studying  her 
form  and  features,  could  not  but  regard  himself  as  in 
some  respects  rather  particularly  favoured  by  the  political 
and  social  machinery  which  had  succeeded  in  persuad- 
ing so  fair  a  creature  to  resign  herself  to  the  doubtful 
destiny  of  a  throne.  She  had  laid  aside  her  magnifi- 
cent bridal-robes  of  ivory  satin  and  cloth-of-gold,  — 
and  appeared  before  him  in  loose  draperies  of  floating 
white,  with  her  rich  hair  unbound  and  rippling  to  her 
knees. 

"May  I  speak?"  she  murmured,  and  her  voice 
trembled. 

"Most  assuredly!" — he  replied,  half  smiling — "You 
do  me  too  much  honour  by  requesting  the  permission  !  " 

As  he  spoke,  he  bowed  profoundly,  but  she,  raising  her 
eyes,  fixed  them  full  upon  him  with  a  strange  look  of 
mingled  pride  and  pain. 

'  Do  not,"  she  said,  "  let  us  play  at  formalities !  Let  us 
be  honest  with  each  other  for  to-nio-ht  at  least !  All  our 
life  together  must  from  henceforth  be  more  or  less  of  a 
masquerade,  but  let  us  for  to-night  be  as  true  man  and 
true  woman,  and  frankly  face  the  position  into  which  we 
have  been  thrust,  not  by  ourselves,  but  by  others." 

Profoundly  astonished,  the  prince  was  silent.  He  had 
not  thought  this  girl  of  nineteen  possessed  any  force  of 
character  or  any  intellectual  power  of  reasoning.  He  had 
judged  her  as  no  doubt  glad  to  become  a  great  princess 
and  a  possible  future  queen,  and  he  had  not  given  her 
credit  for  any  finer  or  higher  feeling. 

'  You  know,"  —  she  continued  —  "  you  must  surely 
know — "  here,  despite  the  strong  restraint  she  put  upon 


i  6  "Temporal  Power' 

herself,  her  voice  broke,  and  her  slight  figure  swayed  in 
its  white  draperies  as  if  about  to  fall.  She  looked  at  him 
with  a  sense  of  rising  tears  in  her  throat,  —  tears  of 
which  she  was  ashamed,  —  for  she  was  full  of  a  passionate 
emotion  too  strong  for  weeping  —  a  contempt  of  herself 
and  of  him,  too  great  for  mere  clamour.  Was  he  so  much 
of  a  man  in  the  slow  thick  density  of  his  brain  she 
thought,  as  to  have  no  instinctive  perception  of  her  utter 
misery  ?  He  hastened  to  her  and  tried  to  take  her  hands, 
but  she  drew  herself  away  from  him  and  sank  down  in  a 
chair  as  if  exhausted. 

'You  are  tired!"  he  said  kindly  —  "The  tedious 
ceremonial  —  the  still  more  tedious  congratulations, 
—  and  the  fatiguing  journey  from  the  capital  to  this 
place  have  been  too  much  for  your  strength.  You  must 
rest!  " 

"  It  is  not  that !  "  —  she  answered  —  "  not  that !  I  am 
not  tired.  - —  but  —  but  —  I  cannot  say  my  prayers  to- 
night till  you  know  my  whole  heart !  " 

A  curious  reverence  and  pity  moved  him.  All  day  long 
he  had  been  in  a  state  of  resentful  irritation,  —  he  had 
loathed  himself  for  having  consented  to  marry  this  girl 
without  loving  her,  —  he  had  branded  himself  inwardly 
as  a  liar  and  hypocrite  when  he  had  sworn  his  marriage 
vows  '  before  God,"  whereas  if  he  truly  believed  in  God, 
such  vows  taken  untruthfully  were  mere  blasphemy ;  — 
and  now  she  herself,  a  young  thing  tenderlv  brought  up 
like  a  tropical  flower  in  the  enervating  hot-house  atmos- 
phere of  Court  life,  yet  had  such  a  pure,  deep  conscious- 
ness of  God  in  her,  that  she  actually  could  not  pray  with 
the  slightest  blur  of  a  secret  on  her  soul !  He  waited 
wonderinglv. 

"  I  have  plighted  my  faith  to  you  before  God's  altar 
to-day,"  she  said,  speaking  more  steadily,  — "  because 
after  long  and  earnest  thought,  I  saw  that  there  was  no 
other  way  of  satisfying-  the  two  nations  to  which  we  be- 
long, and  cementing  the  friendly  relations  between  them. 
There  is  no  woman  of  Royal  birth.  — -  so  it  has  been 
pointed  out  to  me  —  who  is  so  suitable,  from  a  political 
point  of  view,  to  be  your  wife  as  I.  It  is  for  the  sake  of 
your  Throne  and  country  that  you  must  marry  —  and  I 
ask  God  to  forgive  me  if  I  have  done  wrong  in  His  sight 


Majesty  Considers  and  Resolves     17 

by  wedding  you  simply  for  duty's  sake.  My  father,  your 
father,  and  all  who  are  connected  with  our  two  families 
desire  our  union,  and  have  assured  me  that  it  is  right  and 
good  for  me  to  give  up  my  life  to  yours.  All  women's 
lives  must  be  martyred  to  the  laws  made  by  men,  —  or  so 
it  seems  to  me,  —  I  cannot  expect  to  escape  from  the  gen- 
eral doom  apportioned  to  my  sex.  I  therefore  accept  the 
destiny  which  transfers  me  to  you  as  a  piece  of  human 
property  for  possession  and  command,  —  I  accept  it 
freely,  but  I  will  not  say  gladly,  because  that  would  not 
be  true.  For  I  do  not  love  you,  —  I  cannot  love  you !  I 
want  you  to  know  that,  and'  to  feel  it,  that  you  may  not 
ask  from  me  what  I  cannot  give." 

There  were  no  tears  in  her  eyes ;  she  looked  at  him 
straightly  and  steadfastly.  He,  in  his  turn,  met  her  gaze 
fully,  —  his  face  had  paled  a  little,  and  a  shadow  of 
pained  regret  and  commiseration  darkened  his  handsome 
features. 

"  You  love  someone  else?  "  he  asked,  softly. 

She  rose  from  her  chair  and  confronted  him,  a  glow  of 
passionate  pride  flushing  her  cheeks  and  brow. 

"  No !  "  she  said  —  "I  would  not  be  a  traitor  to  you  in 
so  much  as  a  thought !  Had  I  loved  anyone  else  I  would 
never  have  married  you,  —  no !  —  though  you  had  been 
ten  times  a  prince  and  king !  No !  You  do  not  under- 
stand. I  come  to  you  heartwhole  and  passionless,  without 
a  single  love-word  chronicled  in  my  girlhood's  history,  or 
a  single  incident  you  may  not  know.  I  have  never  loved 
any  man,  because  from  my  very  childhood  I  have  hated 
and  feared  all  men  !  I  loathe  their  presence  —  their  looks 
—  their  voices  —  their  manners,  —  if  one  should  touch 
my  hand  in  ordinary  courtesy,  my  instincts  are  offended 
and  revolted,  and  the  sense  of  outrage  remains  with  me 
for  days.  My  mother  knows  of  this,  and  says  I  am  '  un- 
natural,' —  it  may  be  so.  But  unnatural  or  not,  it  is 
the  truth  :  judge  therefore  the  extent  of  the  sacrifice  I 
make  to  God  and  our  two  countries  in  giving  myself  to 
you !  " 

The  prince  stood  amazed  and  confounded.  Did  she 
rave?  Was  she  mad?  He  studied  her  with  a  curious, 
half-doubting  scrutiny,  and  noted  the  composure  of  her 
attitude,  the  cold  serenity  of  her  expression,  —  there  was 


i  8  "Temporal  Power' 

evidently  no  hysteria,  no  sur-excitation  of  nerves  about 
this  calm  statuesque  beauty  which  in  every  line  and  curve 
of  loveliness  silently  mutinied  against  him,  and  despised 
him.  Puzzled,  yet  fascinated,  he  sought  in  his  mind  for 
some  clue  to  her  meaning. 

"  There  are  women  "  she  went  on  —  "  to  whom  love, 
or  what  is  called  love,  is  necessary,  —  for  whom  marriage 
is  the  utmost  good  of  existence.  I  am  not  one  of  these. 
Had  I  my  own  choice  I  would  live  my  life  away  from  all 
men,  —  I  would  let  nothing  of  myself  be  theirs  to  claim, 
—  I  would  give  all  I  am  and  all  I  have  to  God,  who  made 
me  what  I  am.  For  truly  and  honestly,  without  any  affec- 
tation at  all,  I  look  upon  marriage,  not  as  an  honour,  but 
a  degradation !  " 

Had  she  been  less  in  earnest,  he  might  have  smiled  at 
this,  but  her  beauty,  intensified  as  it  was  by  the  fervour  of 
her  feeling,  seemed  transfigured  into  something  quite 
supernatural  which  for  the  moment  dazzled  him. 

"  Am  I  to  understand  —  "  he  began. 

She  interrupted  him  by  a  swift  gesture,  while  the  rich 
colour  swept  over  her  face  in  a  warm  wave. 

"Understand  nothing" — she  said, — "but  this — that 
I  do  not  love  you,  because  I  can  love  no  man !  For  the 
rest  I  am  your  wife ;  and  as  your  wife  I  give  myself 
to  you  and  your  nation  wholly  and  in  all  things  —  save 
love!  " 

He  advanced  and  took  her  hands  in  his. 

'  This  is  a  strange  bargain ! "  he  said,  and  gently  kissed 
her. 

She  answered  nothing,  —  only  a  faint  shiver  trembled 
through  her  as  she  endured  the  caress.  For  a  moment  or 
two  he  surveyed  her  in  silence,  —  it  was  a  singular  and 
novel  experience  for  him,  as  a  future  king,  to  be  the  law- 
ful possessor  of  a  woman's  beauty,  and  yet  with  all  his 
sovereignty  to  be  unable  to  waken  one  thrill  of  tenderness 
in  the  frozen  soul  imprisoned  in  such  exquisite  flesh  and 
blood.  He  was  inclined  to  disbelieve  her  assertions,  — 
surely  he  thought,  there  must  be  emotion,  feeling,  pas- 
sion in  this  fair  creature,  who,  though  she  seemed  a 
goddess  newly  descended  from  inaccessible  heights  of 
heaven  was  still  only  a  woman  ?  And  upon  the  whole  he 
was  not  ill-pleased  with  the  curious  revelation  she  had 


Majesty  Considers  and  Resolves     19 

made  of  herself.  He  preferred  the  coldness  of  women  to 
their  volcanic  eruptions,  and  would  take  more  pains  to 
melt  the  snow  of  reserve  than  to  add  fuel  to  the  flame  of 
ardour. 

'  You  have  been  very  frank  with  me,"  he  said  at  last, 
after  a  pause,  as  he  loosened  her  hands  and  moved  a  little 
apart  from  her — "And  whether  your  physical  and  mental 
hatred  of  my  sex  is  a  defect  in  your  nature,  or  an  excep- 
tional virtue,  I  shall  not  quarrel  with  it.  I  am  myself 
not  without  faults ;  and  the  chiefest  of  these  is  one  most 
common  to  all  men.  I  desire  what  I  may  not  have,  and 
covet  what  I  do  not  possess.  So!  We  understand  each 
other !  " 

She  raised  her  eyes  —  those  beautiful  deep  eyes  with 
the  moonlight  glamour  in  them,  —  and  for  an  instant  the 
shining  Soul  of  her,  pure  and  fearless,  seemed  to  spring 
up  and  challenge  to  spiritual  combat  him  who  was  now 
her  body's  master.  Then,  bending  her  head  with  a  grace- 
ful yet  proud  submission,  she  retired. 

From  that  time  forth  she  never  again  spoke  on  this,  or 
any  other  subject  of  an  intimate  or  personal  nature,  with 
her  Royal  spouse.  Cold  as  an  iceberg,  pure  as  a  diamond, 
she  accepted  both  wifehood  and  motherhood  as  martyr- 
dom, with  an  evident  contempt  for  its  humiliation,  and 
without  one  touch  of  love  for  either  husband  or  children. 
She  bore  three  sons,  of  whom  the  eldest,  and  heir  to  the 
throne  was,  at  the  time  this  history  begins,  just  twenty. 
The  passing  of  the  years  had  left  scarcely  a  trace  upon 
her  beauty,  save  to  increase  it  from  the  sparkling  lumi- 
nance of  a  star  to  the  glory  of  a  full-orbed  moon  of  loveli- 
ness, —  and  she  had  easily  won  a  triumph  over  all  the 
other  women  around  her,  in  the  power  she  possessed  to 
command  and  retain  the  admiration  of  men.  She  was  one 
of  those  brilliant  creatures  who,  like  the  Egyptian  Cleo- 
patra, never  grow  old,  —  for  she  was  utterly  exempt  from 
the  wasting  of  the  nerves  through  emotion.  Her  eyes 
were  always  bright  and  clear ;  her  skin  dazzling  in  its 
whiteness,  save  where  the  equably  flowing  blood  flushed 
it  with  tenderest  rose,  —  her  figure  remained  svelte,  lithe 
and  graceful  in  all  its  outlines.  Finely  strung,  yet  strong 
as  steel  in  her  temperament,  all  thoughts,  feelings  and 
events  seemed  to  sweep  over  her  without  affecting  or  dis- 


20  "Temporal  Power" 

turbing  her  mind's  calm  equipoise.  She  lived  her  life 
with  extreme  simplicity,  regularity,  and  directness,  thus 
driving  to  despair  all  would-be  scandal-mongers;  and 
though  many  gifted  and  famous  men  fell  madly  in  love 
with  their  great  princess,  and  often,  in  the  extremity  of  a 
passion  which  amounted  to  disloyalty,  slew  themselves 
for  her  sake,  she  remained  unmoved  and  pitiless. 

Her  husband  occasionally  felt  some  compassion  for  the 
desperate  fellows  who  thus  immolated  themselves  on  the 
High  Altar  of  her  perfections,  though  it  must  be  admitted 
that  he  received  the  news  of  their  deaths  with  tolerable 
equanimity,  knowing  them  to  have  been  fools,  and  as 
such,  better  out  of  the  world  than  in  it.  During  the  first 
two  or  three  years  of  his  marriage  he  had  himself  been 
somewhat  of  their  disposition,  and  as  mere  man,  had  tried 
by  every  means  in  his  power  to  win  the  affection  of  his 
beautiful  spouse,  and  to  melt  the  icy  barrier  which  she, 
despite  their  relations  with  each  other,  had  resolutely  kept 
up  between  herself  and  him.  He  had  made  the  attempt, 
not  because  he  actually  loved  her,  but  simply  because  he 
desired  the  satisfaction  of  conquest.  Finding  the  task- 
hopeless,  he  resigned  himself  to  his  fate,  and  accepted  her 
at  the  costly  valuation  she  set  upon  herself;  though  for 
pastime  he  would  often  pay  court  to  certain  ladies  of  easy 
virtue,  with  the  vague  idea  that  perhaps  the  spirit  of  jeal- 
ousy might  enter  that  cold  shrine  of  womanhood  where 
no  other  demon  could  force  admission,  and  wake  up  the 
passions  slumbering  within.  But  she  appeared  not  to  be 
at  all  aware  of  his  many  and  open  gallantries ;  and  only 
at  stray  moments,  when  her  frosty  flashing  glance  fell 
upon  him  engaged  in  some  casual  flirtation,  would  a  sud- 
den smarting  sense  of  injury  make  him  conscious  of  her 
contempt. 

But  he  could  reasonably  find  no  fault  with  her,  save  the 
fault  of  beimj  faultless.  She  was  a  perfect  hostess,  and 
fulfilled  all  the  duties  of  her  exalted  position  with  admi- 
rable tact  and  foresight,  —  she  was  ever  busy  in  the  per- 
formance of  good  and  charitable  deeds,  —  she  was  an 
excellent  mother,  and  took  the  utmost  personal  care  that 
her  sons  should  be  healthily  nurtured  and  well  brought 
up,  —  she  never  interfered  in  any  matter  of  state  or  cere- 
mony,— she  simply  seemed  to  move  as  a  star  moves,  shin- 


Majesty  Considers  and  Resolves     21 

ing  over  the  earth  but  having  no  part  in  it.  Irresponsive 
as  she  was,  she  nevertheless  compelled  admiration,  —  her 
husband  himself  admired  her,  but  only  as  he  would  have 
admired  a  statue  or  a  painting.  For  his  was  an  impulsive 
and  generous  nature,  and  his  marriage  had  kept  his  heart 
empty  of  the  warmth  of  love,  and  his  home  devoid  of  the 
light  of  sympathy.  Even  his  children  had  been  born  more 
as  the  sons  of  the  nation  than  his  own,  —  he  was  not  con- 
scious of  any  very  great  affection  for  them,  or  interest  in 
their  lives.  And  he  had  sought  to  kindle  at  many  strange 
fires  the  heavenly  love-beacon  which  should  have  flamed 
its  living  glory  into  his  days ;  so  it  had  naturally  chanced 
that  he  had  spent  by  far  the  larger  portion  of  his  time  on 
the  persuasion  of  mere  Whim,  —  and  as  vastly  inferior 
women  to  his  wife  had  made  him  spend  it. 

But  at  this  particular  juncture,  when  the  curtain  is 
drawn  up  on  certain  scenes  and  incidents  in  his  life- 
drama,  a  change  had  been  effected  in  his  opinions  and 
surroundings.  For  eighteen  years  after  his  marriage,  he 
had  lived  on  the  first  step  of  the  Throne  as  its  next  heir ; 
and  when  he  passed  that  step  and  ascended  the  Throne 
itself,  he  seemed  to  have  crossed  a  vast  abyss  of  distance 
between  the  Old  and  the  New.  Behind  him  the  Past 
rolled  away  like  a  cloud  vanishing,  to  be  seen  no  more, — 
before  him  arose  the  dim  vista  of  wavering  and  uncertain 
shadows,  which  no  matter  how  they  shifted  and  changed, 
—  no  matter  how  many  flashes  of  sunshine  flickered 
through  them,  —  were  bound  to  close  in  the  thick  gloom 
of  the  inevitable  end,  - —  Death.  This  is  what  he  was 
chiefly  thinking  of,  seated  alone  in  his  garden-pavilion 
facing  the  sea  on  that  brilliant  southern  summer  morning. 
■ —  this,  —  and  with  the  thought  came  man}'  others  no  less 
sad  and  dubious,  —  such  as  whether  for  example,  his 
eldest  son  might  not  already  be  eager  for  the  crown  ?  — 
whether  even  now,  though  he  had  only  reigned  three 
years,  his  people  were  not  more  or  less  dissatisfied  under 
his  rule? 

His  father,  the  late  King,  had  died  suddenly,  —  so  sud- 
denly that  there  was  neither  help  nor  hope  for  him  among 
the  hastily  summoned  physicians.  Stricken  numb  and 
speechless,  he  kept  his  anguished  eyes  fixed  to  the  last 
upon  his  son,  as  one  who  should  say — "  Alas,  and  to  thee 


22  "Temporal  Power' 

also,  falls  this  curse  of  a  Crown ! ':  Once  dead,  he  was 
soon  forgotten, — the  pomp  of  the  Royal  obsequies  merely 
made  a  gala-day  for  the  light-hearted  Southern  populace, 
who  hailed  the  accession  of  their  new  King  with  as  much 
gladness  as  a  child,  who,  having  broken  one  doll,  straight- 
way secures  another  as  good,  if  not  better.  As  Heir- Ap- 
parent the  succeeding  sovereign  had  won  great  popu- 
larity, and  was  much  more  generally  beloved  than  his 
father  had  been,  ■ —  so  that  it  was  on  an  extra  high  wave 
of  jubilation  and  acclamation  that  he  and  his  beautiful 
consort  were  borne  to  the  Throne. 

Three  years  had  passed  since  then ;  and  so  far  his 
reign  had  been  untroubled  by  much  difficulty.  Difficulty 
there  was,  but  he  was  kept  in  ignorance  of  it,  —  troubles 
were  brooding,  but  he  was  not  informed  of  them.  Things 
likely  to  be  disagreeable  were  not  conveyed  to  his  ears,  — 
and  matters  which,  had  he  been  allowed  to  examine  into 
them,  might  have  aroused  his  indignation  and  interfer- 
ence, were  diplomatically  hushed  up.  He  was  known  to 
possess  much  more  than  the  limited  intelligence  usually 
apportioned  to  kings ;  and  certainly,  as  his  tutor  had  said 
of  him  in  his  youth,  he  was  dangerously  "  disposed 
towards  discursive  philosophies."  He  was  likewise  ac- 
credited with  a  conscience,  which  many  diplomats  con- 
sider to  be  a  wholly  undesirable  ingredient  in  the  moral 
composition  of  a  reigning  monarch.  Therefore,  those 
who  move  a  king,  as  in  the  game  of  chess,  one  square  at 
a  time  and  no  more,  —  were  particularly  cautious  as  to 
the  '  way  '  in  which  they  moved  him.  He  had  shown 
himself  difficult  to  manage  once  or  twice ;  and  interested 
persons  could  not  pursue  their  usual  course  of  self-ag- 
grandisement with  him,  as  he  was  not  susceptible  to  flat- 
tery. He  had  a  way  of  asking  straight  questions,  and 
what  was  still  worse,  expecting  straight  answers,  such  as 
politicians   never  give. 

Nevertheless  he  had,  up  to  the  present,  ruled  his  con- 
duct very  much  on  the  lines  laid  down  by  his  predeces- 
sors, and  during  his  brief  reign  had  been  more  or  less 
content  to  passively  act  in  all  things  as  his  ministers  ad- 
vised. He  had  bestowed  honours  on  fools  because  his 
ministers  considered  it  politic,  —  he  had  given  his  formal 
consent  to  the  imposition  of  certain  taxes  on  his  people, 


Majesty  Considers  and  Resolves     23 

because  his  ministers  had  judged  such  taxes  necessary, — 
in  fact  he  had  done  everything  he  was  expected  to  do, 
and  nothing  that  he  was  not  expected  to  do.  I  te  had  not 
taken  any  close  personal  thought  as  to  whether  such  and 
such  a  political  movement  was,  or  was  not,  welcome  to 
the  spirit  of  the  nation,  nor  had  he  weighed  intimately  in 
his  own  mind  the  various  private  interests  of  the  members 
of  his  Government,  in  passing,  or  moving  the  rejection 
of,  any  important  measure  affecting  the  well-being  of 
the  community  at  large.  And  he  had  lately,  —  perhaps 
through  the  objectionable  '  discursive  philosophies  '  be- 
fore mentioned,  --come  to  consider  himself  somewhat  of 
a  stuffed  Dummy  or  figure-head ;  and  to  wonder  what 
would  be  the  result,  if  with  caution  and  prudence,  he  were 
to  act  more  on  his  own  initiative,  and  speak  as  he  often 
thought  it  would  be  wise  and  well  to  speak?  He  was  but 
forty-five  years  old,  - —  in  the  prime  of  life,  in  the  pleni- 
tude of  health  and  mental  vigour,  —  was  he  to  pass  the 
rest  of  his  days  guarded  by  detectives,  flunkeys  and 
physicians,  with  never  an  independent  word  or  action 
throughout  his  whole  career  to  mark  him  Man  as  well 
as  Monarch  ?  Nay,  surely  that  would  be  an  insult  to  the 
God  who  made  him !  But  the  question  which  arose  in  his 
mind  and  perplexed  him  was,  How  to  begin  ?  How,  after 
passive  obedience,  to  commence  resistance?  How  to 
break  through  the  miserable  conventionalism,  the  sordid 
commonplace  of  a  king's  surroundings?  For  it  is  only 
in  mediaeval  fairy-tales  that  kings  are  permitted  to  be 
kingly. 

Yet,  despite  custom  and  usage,  he  was  determined  to 
make  a  new  departure  in  the  annals  of  modern  sover- 
eignty. Three  years  of  continuous  slavery  on  the  tread- 
mill of  the  Throne  had  been  sufficient  to  make  him  thirst 
for  freedom,  —  freedom  of  speech,  —  freedom  of  action. 
He  had  tacitly  submitted  to  a  certain  ministry  because  he 
had  been  assured  that  the  said  ministry  was  popular,  — 
but  latterly,  rumours  of  discontent  and  grievance  had 
reached  him,  —  albeit  indistinctly  and  incoherently, — and 
he  began  to  be  doubtful  as  to  whether  it  might  not  be 
the  Press  which  supported  the  existing  state  of  policy, 
rather  than  the  People.  The  Press !  He  began  to  con- 
sider of  what  material  this  great  power  in  his  country  was 


5» 


24  "  Temporal  Power 

composed.  Originally,  the  Press  in  all  countries,  was  in- 
tended to  be  the  most  magnificent  institution  of  the  civi- 
lized world,  —  the  voice  of  truth,  of  liberty,  of  justice  — 
a  voice  which  in  its  clamant  utterances  could  neither  be 
bribed  nor  biassed  to  cry  out  false  news.  Originally,  such 
was  meant  to  be  its  mission ;  —  but  nowadays,  what,  in 
all  honesty  and  frankness,  is  the  Press  ?  What  was  it,  for 
example,  to  this  king,  who  from  personal  knowledge,  was 
able  to  practically  estimate  and  enumerate  the  forces 
which  controlled  it  thus :  - —  Six,  or  at  the  most  a  dozen 
men,  the  proprietors  and  editors  of  different  newspapers 
sold  in  cheap  millions  to  the  people.  Most  of  these  news- 
papers were  formed  into  '  companies  ' ;  and  the  managers 
issued  '  shares '  in  the  fashion  of  tea  merchants  and 
grocers.  False  news,  if  of  a  duly  sensational  character, 
would  sometimes  send  up  the  shares  in  the  market, — true 
information  would  equally,  on  occasion,  send  them  down. 
These  premises  granted,  might  it  not  follow  that  for 
newspaper  speculators,  the  False  would  often  prove  more 
lucrative  than  the  True?  And,  concerning  the  persons 
who  wrote  for  these  newspapers,  —  of  what  calling  and 
election  were  they?  Male  and  female,  young  and  old, 
they  were  generally  of  a  semi-educated  class  lacking  all 
distinctive  ability,  — ■  men  and  women  who  were,  on  an 
average,  desperately  poor,  and  desperately  dissatisfied. 
To  earn  daily  bread  they  naturally  had  to  please  the  edi- 
tors set  in  authority  over  them ;  hence  their  expressed 
views  and  opinions  on  any  subject  could  only  be  counted 
as  nil,  being  written,  not  independently,  but  under  the 
absolute  control  of  their  employers.  Thus  meditating,  the 
King  summed  up  the  total  of  his  own  mental  argument, 
and  found  that  the  vast  sounding  '  power  of  the  Press  '  so 
far  as  his  own  dominion  was  concerned,  resolved  itself 
into  the  mere  trade  monopoly  of  the  aforesaid  leading 
dozen  men.  What  he  now  proposed  to  himself  to  dis- 
cover among  other  things,  was,  —  how  far  and  how  truly 
these  dozen  tradesmen  voiced  the  mind  of  the  People 
over  whom  he  was  elected  to  reign  ?  Here  was  a  prob- 
lem, and  one  not  easy  to  solve.  But  what  was  very  plain 
and  paramount  to  his  mind  was  this,  —  that  he  was 
thoroughly  sick  and  tired  of  being  no  more  than  a 
'social'  figure  in  the  world's  affairs.    It  was  an  effeminate 


Majesty  Considers  and  Resolves     25 

part  to  play.  It  was  time,  he  considered,  that  he  should 
intelligently  try  his  own  strength,  and  test  the  nation's 
quality. 

"  If  there  is  corruption  in  the  state,"  he  said  to  himself, 
"  I  will  find  its  centre!  If  I  am  fooled  by  my  advisers 
then  I  will  be  fooled  no  longer.  With  whatsoever  brain 
and  heart  and  reason  and  understanding  the  Fates  have 
endowed  me,  I  will  study  the  ways,  the  movements,  the 
desires  of  my  people,  and  prove  myself  their  friend,  as 
well  as  their  king.  Suppose  they  misunderstand  me  ?  — 
What  matter!  —  Let  the  nation  rise  against  me  an'  it  will, 
so  that  I  may,  before  I  die,  prove  myself  worthy  of  the 
mere  gift  of  manhood  !  To-day  "  —  and,  rising  from  his 
chair,  he  advanced  a  step  or  two  and  faced  the  sea  and 
sky  with  an  unconscious  gesture  of  invocation;  "  To-day 
shall  be  the  first  day  of  my  real  monarchy !  To-day  I  be- 
gin to  reign  !  The  past  is  past,  —  for  eighteen  long  years 
as  prince  and  heir  to  the  throne  I  trifled  away  my  time 
among-  the  follies  of  the  hour,  and  laughed  at  the  easv 
purchase  I  could  make  of  the  assumed  '  honour  of  men 
and  women ;  and  I  enjoyed  the  liberty  and  license  of  my 
position.  Since  then,  for  three  years  I  have  been  the 
prisoner  of  my  Parliament,  —  but  now  —  now,  and  for 
the  rest  of  the  time  granted  to  me  on  earth,  I  will  live  my 
life  in  the  belief  that  its  riddle  must  surely  meet  with 
God's  own  explanation.  To  me  it  has  become  evident 
that  the  laws  of  Nature  make  for  Truth  and  Justice; 
while  the  laws  of  man  are  framed  on  deception  and  in- 
justice. The  two  sets  of  laws  contend  one  against  the 
other,  and  the  finite,  after  foolish  and  vain  struggle,  suc- 
cumbs to  the  infinite,  —  better  therefore,  to  begin  with 
the  infinite  Order  than  strive  with  the  finite  Chaos !  I,  a 
mere  earthlv  sovereign,  rank  mvself  on  the  side  of  the  In- 
finite,  —  and  will  work  for  Truth  and  Justice  with  the 
revolving  of  Its  giant  wheel !  My  people  have  seen  me 
crowned,  —  but  my  real  Coronation  is  to-day  —  when  I 
crown  myself  with  my  own  resolve !  " 

His  eyes  flashed  in  the  sunshine ;  —  a  rose  shook  its 
pink  petals  on  the  ground  at  his  feet.  In  one  of  the  many 
pleasure-boats  skimming  across  the  sea,  a  man  was  sing- 
ing ;  and  the  words  he  sang  floated  distinctly  along  on  the 
landward  wind. 


26  "Temporal  Power' 

"  Let  me  be  thine,  O  love, 

But  for  an  hour  ! 
I  yield  my  heart  and  soul 

Into  thy  power,  — 
Let  me  be  thine, 
O  Love  of  mine, 

But  for  an  hour  !  " 

The  King  listened,  and"  a  faint  shadow  darkened  the 
proud  light  on  his  face. 

"  '  But  for  an  hour !  '  'he  said  half  aloud  —  "  Yes,  — 
it  would  be  enough!     No  woman's  love  lasts  longer! ': 


CHAPTER    III 

A    NATION    OR    A    CHURCH  ? 

AN  approaching  step  echoing"  on  the  marble  terrace 
warned  him  that  he  was  no  longer  alone.  He  re- 
seated himself  at  his  writing-table,  and  feigned  to  be 
deeply  engrossed  in  perusing  various  documents,  but  a 
ready  smile  greeted  the  intruder  as  soon  as  he  perceived 
who  it  was,  —  one  Sir  Roger  de  Launay,  his  favourite 
equerry  and  intimate  personal  friend. 

'  Time  's  up,  is  it,  Roger?  "  he  queried  lightly,  —  then 
as  the  equerry  bowed  in  respectful  silence —  "  And  yet  I 
have  scarcely  glanced  at  these  papers !  All  the  same,  I 
have  not  been  idle  -  -  I  have  been  thinking." 

Sir  Roger  de  Launay,  a  tall  handsome  man,  with  an  in- 
definable air  of  mingled  good-nature  and  lassitude  about 
him  which  suggested  the  possibility  of  his  politely  urging 
even  Death  itself  not  to  be  so  much  of  a  bore  about  its 
business,   smiled   doubtfully. 

"Is  it  a  wise  procedure.  Sir?"  he  enquired  —  "Con- 
ducive to  comfort  1  mean?" 

The  King  laughed. 

'  No  —  I  cannot  say  that  it  is  !  Rut  thought  is  a  tonic 
which  sometimes  restores  a  man's  enfeebled  self-respect. 
I  was  beginning  to  lose  that  particular  condition  of  health 
and  sanity,  Roger! --my  self-respect  was  becoming  a 
flaccid  muscle — a  withering  nerve  ; — but  a  little  thought- 
exercise  has  convinced  me  that  my  mental  sinews  are  yet 
on  the  whole  strong!  " 

Sir  Roger  offered  no  reply.  His  eyes  expressed  a  cer- 
tain languid  wonderment ;  but  duty  being  paramount 
with  him,  and  his  immediate  errand  being  to  remind  his 
sovereign  of  an  appointment  then  about  due,  he  began  to 
collect  the  writing  materials  scattered  about  on  the  table 
and  put  them  together  for  convenient  removal.  The 
smile  on  the  King's  face  deepened  as  he  watched  him. 


28  "Temporal  Power' 

"You  do  not  answer  me,  De  Launay," — he  resumed, 
"  You  think  perhaps  that  I  am  talking  in  parables,  and 
that  my  mind  has  been  persuaded  into  a  metaphysical  and 
rambling  condition  by  an  hour's  contemplation  of  the  sun- 
light on  the  sea  !  But  come  now  !  —  have  you  not  your- 
self felt  a  longing  to  break  loose  from  the  trammels  of 
conventional  routine,  —  to  be  set  free  from  the  slavery  of 
answering  another's  beck  and  call,  —  to  be  something 
more  than  my  attendant  and  friend " 

"  Sir,  more  than  your  friend  I  have  never  desired  to 
be !  "  said  Sir  Roger,  simply. 

The  King  extended  his  hand  with  impulsive  quickness, 
and  Sir  Roger  as  he  clasped  it,  bent  low  and  touched  it 
with  his  lips.  There  was  no  parasitical  homage  in  the 
act,  for  De  Launay  loved  his  sovereign  with  a  love  little 
known  at  courts ;  loyally,  faithfully,  and  without  a  par- 
ticle of  self-seeking.  He  had  long  recognized  the  nobil- 
ity, truth  and  courage  which  graced  and  tempered  the 
disposition  of  the  master  he  served,  and  knew  him  to  be 
one,  if  not  the  only,  monarch  in  the  world  likely  to  confer 
some  lasting  benefit  on  his  people  by  his  reign. 

"  I  tell  you,"  pursued  the  King,  "  that  there  is  some- 
thing in  the  mortal  composition  of  every  man  which  is 
beyond  mortality,  something  which  clamours  to  be  heard, 
and  seen,  and  proved.  We  may  call  it  conscience,  intel- 
lect, spirit  or  soul,  and  attribute  its  existence,  to  God,  as  a 
spark  of  the  Divine  Essence,  but  whatever  it  is,  it  is  in 
every  one  of  us ;  and  there  comes  a  moment  in  life  when 
it  must  flame  out,  or  be  quenched  forever.  That  moment 
has  come  to  me,  Roger,— that  something  in  me  must  have 
its  way!  " 

"Your  Majesty  no  doubt  desires  the  impossible!'' 
—  said  Sir  Roger  with  a  smile,  "  All  men  do,  —  even 
kings !  " 

"  '  Even  kings ! '  '  echoed  the  monarch  —  "  You  may 
well  say  '  even  '  kings !  What  are  kings  ?  Simply  the 
most  wronged  and  miserable  men  on  earth !  I  do  not 
myself  put  in  a  special  claim  for  pity.  My  realm  is  small, 
and  my  people  are,  for  aught  I  can  learn  or  am  told  of 
them,  contented.  But  other  sovereigns  who  are  my 
friends  and  neighbours,  live,  as  it  were,  under  the  dag- 
ger's point,  —  with  dynamite  at  their  feet  and  pistols  at 


A  Nation  or  a  Church?         29 

their  heads,  —  all  for  no  fault  of  their  own,  but  for  the 
faults  of  a  system  which  they  did  not  formulate.  Con- 
spirators on  the  threshold  —  poison  in  the  air,  —  as  in 
Russia,  for  example!  —  where  is  the  joy  or  the  pride  of 
being  a  King  nowadays  ?  " 

"  Talking  of  poison,"  said  Sir  Roger  blandly,  as  he 
placed  the  last  document  of  those  he  had  collected,  neatly 
in  a  leather  case  and  strapped  it-  -"  Your  Majesty  may 
perhaps  feel  inclined  to  defer  giving  the  promised  audi- 
ence to  Monsignor  Del  Fortis  of  the  Society  of  Jesus  ?  " 

"By  Heaven,  I  had  forgotten  him!"  and  the  King  rose. 
"  This  is  what  you  came  to  remind  me  of,  Roger?  He  is 
here  ?  " 

De  Launay  bowed  an  assent. 

"  Well !  We  have  kept  a  messenger  of  Mother  Church 
waiting  our  pleasure,  —  and  not  for  the  first  time  in  the 
annals  of  history !  But  why  do  you  associate  his  name 
with  poison?  " 

"  Really,  Sir,  the  connection  is  inexplicable,  —  unless 
it  be  the  memory  of  a  religious  lesson-book  given  to  me  in 
my  childhood.  It  was  an  illustrated  treasure,  and  one 
picture  showed  me  the  Almighty  in  the  character  of  an 
old  gentleman  seated  placidly  on  a  cloud,  smiling  ; — while 
on  the  earth  below,  a  priest,  exactly  resembling  this  Del 
Fortis,  poured  a  spoonful  of  something,  —  poison  —  or  it 
might  have  been  boiling  lead  —  down  the  throat  of  a  her- 
etic. I  remember  it  impressed  me  very  much  with  the 
goodness  of  God." 

He  maintained  a  whimsical  gravity  as  he  spoke,  and 
the  King  laughed. 

"  De  Launay,  you  are  incorrigible!  Come!  —  we  will 
go  within  and  see  this  Del  Fortis,  and  you  shall  remain 
present  during  the  audience.  That  will  give  you  a  chance 
to  improve  your  present  impression  of  him.  I  understand 
he  is  a  very  brilliant  and  leading  member  of  his  Order,  — 
likely  to  be  the  next  Vicar-General.  I  know  his  errand, 
— the  papers  concerning  his  business  are  there — ,"  and  he 
waved  his  hand  towards  the  leather  case  Sir  Roger  had 
just  fastened  —  "  Bring  them  with  you!  " 

Sir  Roger  obeyed,  and  the  King,  stepping  forth  from 
the  pavilion,  walked  slowly  along  the  terrace,  watching 
the  sparkling  sea,  the  flowering  orange-trees  lifting  their 


30  "Temporal  Power' 

slender  tufts  of  exquisitely  scented  bloom  against  the  clear 
blue  of  the  sky,  the  birds  skimming  lightly  from  point  to 
point  of  foliage,  and  the  white-sailed  yachts  dipping 
gracefully  as  the  ocean  rose  and  fell  with  every  wild 
sweet  breath  of  the  scented  wind.  Pausing  a  moment,  he 
presently  took  out  a  field-glass  and  looked  through  it  at 
one  of  the  finest  and  fairest  of  these  pleasure-vessels, 
which,  as  he  surveyed  it,  suddenly  swung  round,  and 
began  to  scud  away  westward. 

"  The  Prince  is  on  board?  "  he  asked. 

'  Yes,  Sir,"  replied  De  Launay  —  "  His  Royal  High- 
ness intends  sailing  as  far  as  The  Islands,  and  remaining 
there  till  sunset." 

"  Alone,  as  usual?  " 

"  As  usual,  Sir,  alone,  save  for  his  captain  and  crew." 

The  King  walked  on  in  silence  for  a  minute.  Then  he 
paused  abruptly.  • 

"  I  do  not  like  it,  De" Launay  !  "  —  he  said  decisively  — 
'  I  do  not  like  his  abnormal  love  of  solitude.  Books  are 
all  very  well  —  poetry  is  in  its  way  excellent,  —  music,  as 
we  are  told  'hath  charms' — but  the  boy  broods  too  much, 
and  stays  away  too  much  from  Court.  What  woman 
attracts  him  ?  " 

Sir  Roger's  eyes  opened  wide  as  the  King  turned  sud- 
denly round  upon  him   with  this   question. 

'  Woman,  Sir  ?  I  know  of  none.  The  Prince  is  but 
twenty " 

"At  twenty,"  said  the  King,  —  "boys  love  —  the 
wrong  girl.  At  thirty  they  marry  —  the  wrong  woman. 
At  forty  they  meet  the  only  true  and  fitting  soul's  com- 
panion, —  and  cry  for  the  moon  till  the  end !  My  son  is 
in  the  first  stage,  or  I  am  much  mistaken,  —  he  loves  — 
the  wrong  girl !  " 

He  walked  on,  —  and  De  Launay  followed,  with  a 
vague  sense  of  amusement  and  disquietude  in  his  mind. 
What  had  come  to  his  Royal  master,  he  wondered?  His 
ordinary  manner  had  changed  somewhat, — he  spoke  with 
less  than  the  customary  formality,  and  there  was  an  ex- 
pression of  freedom  and  authority,  combined  with  a  touch 
of  defiance  in  his  face,  that  was  altogether  new  to  the 
observation  of  the  faithful  equerry. 

Arrived  at  the  palace,  and  passing  through  one  of  the 


A  Nation  or  a  Church?        31 

long  and  spacious  painted  corridors,  lit  by  richly  coloured 
mullioned  windows  from  end  to  end,  the  King  came  face 
to  face  with  a  lady-in-waiting  carrying  a  large  cluster  of 
Madonna  lilies.  She  drew  aside,  with  a  deep  reverence,  to 
allow  him  to  pass  ;  but  he  stopped  a  moment,  looking  at 
the  great  gorgeous  white  flowers  faint  with  fragrance,  and 
at  the  slight  retiring  figure  of  the  woman  who  held  them. 

"  Are  these  for  the  chapel,  Madame?"  he  asked. 

"No,   Sir!     For  the  Queen." 

'  For  the  Queen ! '  A  quick  sigh  escaped  him.  He  still 
stood,  caught  by  a  sudden  abstraction,  looking  at  the 
dazzling  whiteness  of  the  snowy  blooms,  and  thinking 
how  fittingly  they  would  companion  his  beautiful,  cold, 
pure  Queen-Consort,  who  had  never  from  her  marriage- 
day  uttered  a  word  of  love  to  him,  or  given  him  a  glance 
of  tenderness.  Their  rich  odours  crept  into  his  warm 
blood,  and  the  bitter  old  sense  of  unfulfilled  longing,  — 
longing  for  affection,  for  comprehension,  for  all  that  he 
had  not  possessed  in  his  otherwise  brilliant  life,  —  vexed 
and  sickened  him.  He  turned  away  abruptly,  —  and  the 
lady-in-waiting,  having  curtsied  once  more  profoundly, 
passed  on  with  her  glistening  sheaf  of  bloom  and  disap- 
peared vision-like  in  a  gleam  of  azure  light  falling 
through  one  of  the  further  and  higher  casements.  The 
King  watched  her  disappear,  the  meditative  line  of  sad- 
ness still  puckering  his  brow,  —  then,  followed  by  his 
equerry,  he  entered  a  small  private  audience  chamber, 
where  Sir  Roger  de  Launay  notified  an  attendant  gentle- 
man-usher that  his  Majesty  was  ready  to  receive  Mon- 
signor  Del  Fortis. 

During  the  brief  interval  occupied  in  waiting  for  his 
visitor's  approach,  the  King  selected  certain  papers  from 
those  which  Sir  Roger  had  brought  from  the  garden- 
pavilion  and  placed  them  in  order  on  the  table. 

"  For  the  past  six  months,"  he  said  —  "I  have  had  this 
Jesuit's  name  before  me,  and  have  been  in  twenty  minds 
a  month  about  granting  or  refusing  what  his  Society 
demands.  The  matter  has  been  discussed  in  the  Press, 
too,  with  the  usual  pros  and  cons  of  hesitation  —  but  it  is 
the  People  I  am  thinking  of  —  the  People !  —  and  I  am 
just  now  in  the  humour  to  satisfy  a  Nation  rather  than  a 
Church !  " 


32  "Temporal  Power' 

De  Launay  said  nothing-.     His  opinion  was  not  asked. 

"It  is  a  case  in  which  the  temporal  overbalances  the 
spiritual."  continued  the  King  —  "  Which  plainly  proves 
that  the  spiritual  must  be  lacking  in  some  essential  point 
somewhere.  For  if  the  spiritual  were  always  truly  of 
God,  then  would  it  always  be  the  strongest.  The  question 
which  brings  Monsignor  Del  Fortis  here  as  special  emis- 
sary of  the  Vicar-General  of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  is 
simply  this :  Whether  or  no  a  certain  site  in  a  particu- 
larlv  fertile  tract  of  land  belonging  chiefly  to  the  Grown, 
shall  be  granted  to  the  Jesuits  for  the  purpose  of  building 
thereon  a  church  and  monastery  with  schools  attached. 
It  seems  a  reasonable  request,  set  forth  with  an  appar- 
ently religious  intention.  Yet  more  than  forty  petitions 
have  been  sent  in  to  me  from  the  inhabitants  of  the  towns 
and  villages  adjacent  to  the  lands,  imploring  me  to  refuse 
the  concession.  By  my  faith,  they  plead  as  eloquently  as 
though  asking  deliverance  from  the  plague !  It  is  a  curi- 
ous dilemma.  If  I  grant  the  people's  request  I  anger  the 
priests;   if  I  satisfy  the  priests  I  anger  the  people." 

"  You  mentioned  a  discussion  in  the  Press,  Sir  — " 
hinted  Sir  Roger. 

"  Oh,  the  Press  is  like  a  weathercock  —  it  turns  which- 
ever way  the  wind  of  speculation  blows.  One  day  it  is 
'  for,'  another  '  against.'  In  this  particular  case  it  is  dip- 
lomatically indifferent,  except  in  one  or  two  cases  where 
papal  money  has  found  its  way  into  the  newspaper 
offices." 

At  that  moment  the  door  was  flung  open,  and  Mon- 
signor Del  Fortis  was  ceremoniously  ushered  into  the 
presence  of  his  Majesty.  At  the  first  glance  it  was  evi- 
dent that  De  Launay  had  reasonable  cause  for  associating 
the  mediaeval  priestly  torturer  pictured  in  his  early  lesson- 
book  with  the  unprepossessing  personage  now  introduced. 
Del  Fortis  was  a  dark,  resentful-looking  man  of  about 
sixty,  tall  and  thin,  with  a  long  cadaverous  face,  very 
strongly  pronounced  features  and  small  sinister  eyes, 
over  which  the  level  brows  almost  met  across  the  sharp 
bridge  of  nose.  His  close  black  garb  buttoned  to  the 
chin,  outlined  his  wiry  angular  limbs  with  an  almost  pain- 
ful distinctness,  and  the  lean  right  hand  which  he  placed 
across  his  breast  as  he  bowed  profoundly  to  the  King, 


A  Nation  or  a  Church?        33 

looked  more  like  the  shrunken  hand  of  a  corpse  than  that 
of  a  living-  man.  The  King  observed  him  attentively,  but 
not  with  favour ;  while  thoughts,  strange,  and  for  him  as 
a  constitutional  monarch  audacious,  began  to  move  in  the 
undercurrents  of  his  mind,  stirring  him  to  unusual  speech 
and  action.  Sir  Roger,  retiring  to  the  furthest  end  of  the 
room  stood  with  his  back  against  the  door,  a  fine  upright 
soldierly  figure,  as  motionless  as  though  cast  in  bronze, 
though  his  eyes  showed  keen  and  sparkling  life  as  they 
rested  on  his  Royal  master,  watching  his  every  gesture,  as 
well  as  every  slightest  movement  on  the  part  of  his 
priestly  visitor. 

"  You  are  welcome,  Monsignor  Del  Fortis,"  —  said  the 
King,  at  last  breaking  silence.  — "  To  save  time  and 
trouble,  I  may  tell  you  that  I  need  no  explanation  of  the 
nature  of  your  business." 

The  Jesuit  bowed  with  an  excessive  humility. 

"  You  wish  me  to  grant  to  your  Society,"  continued  the 
monarch  —  "  that  portion  of  the  Crown  lands  named  in 
your  petition,  to  be  held  in  your  undisputed  possession  for 
a  long  term  of  years,  —  and  in  order  to  facilitate  my  con- 
sent to  this  arrangement,  your  Vicar-General  has  sent  you 
here  to  furnish  the  full  details  of  your  building  scheme. 
Am  I  so  far  correct  ?  " 

The  priest's  dark  secretive  eyes  glittered  craftily  a  mo- 
ment as  he  raised  them  to  the  open  and  tranquil  coun- 
tenance of  the  sovereign,  —  then  once  again  he  bowed 
profoundly. 

"  Your  Majesty  has,  with  your  customary  care  and 
patience,  fully  studied  the  object  of  my  errand  "  —  he  re- 
plied in  a  clear  thin,  somewhat  rasping  voice,  which  he 
endeavoured  to  make  smooth  and  conciliatory  —  "  But  it 
is  impossible  that  your  Majesty,  immersed  every  day  in 
the  affairs  of  state,  should  have  found  time  to  personally 
go  through  the  various  papers  formally  submitted  to  your 
consideration.  Therefore,  the  Vicar-General  of  our 
Order  considered  that  if  the  present  interview  with  your 
Majesty  could  be  obtained,  I,  as  secretary  and  treasurer 
for  the  proposed  new  monastery,  might  be  able  to  ex- 
plain the  spiritual,  as  well  as  the  material  advantages 
to  be  gained  by  the  use  of  the  lands  for  the  purpose 
mentioned." 


34  "Temporal  Power' 

He  spoke  slowly,  enunciating  each  word  with  careful 
distinctness. 

"  The  spiritual  part  of  the  scheme  is  of  course  the  most 
important  to  you !  "  —  said  the  King  with  a  slight  smile, 
—  "But  material  advantages  are  never  entirely  over- 
looked, even  by  holy  men !  Now  I  am  merely  a  '  tem- 
poral '  sovereign ;  and  as  such,  I  wish  to  know  how  your 
plan  will  affect  the  people  of  the  neighbouring  town  and 
district.  What  are  your  intentions  towards  them  ?  Their 
welfare  is  my  chief  concern ;  and  what  I  have  to  learn 
from  you  is,  —  How  do  you  propose  to  benefit  them  by 
maintaining  a  monastery,  church  and  schools  in  their 
vicinity?  " 

Again  Del  Fortis  gave  a  furtive  glance  upward.  See- 
ing that  the  King's  eyes  were  steadily  fixed  upon  him,  he 
quickly  lowered  his  own,  and  gave  answer  in  an  evidently 
prepared  manner. 

"  Sir,  the  people  of  the  district  in  question  are  untaught 
barbarians.  It  is  more  for  their  sakes,  —  more  for  the 
love  of  gathering  the  lost  sheep  into  the  fold,  than  for 
our  own  satisfaction,  that  we  seek  to  pitch  our  tents  in  the 
desert  of  their  ignorance.  They,  and  their  children,  are 
the  prey  of  heathenish  modern  doctrines,  which  alas !  — 
are  too  prevalent  throughout  the  whole  world  at  this 
particular  time,  —  and,  as  they  are  at  present  situated,  no 
restraint  is  exercised  upon  them  for  the  better  controlling 
of  their  natural  and  inherited  vices.  Unless  the  gentle 
hand  of  Mother  Church  is  allowed  to  rescue  these,  her 
hapless  and  neglected  ones ;  unless  she  has  an  opportunity 
afforded  her  of  leading  them  out  of  the  darkness  of 
error  into  the  light  of  eternal  day " 

He  broke  off,  his  eloquence  being  interrupted  by  a  ges- 
ture from  the  King. 

'  There  is  a  Government  school  in  the  town,"  —  said 
the  monarch,  referring"  to  one  or  two  documents  on  the 
table  before  him.  —  "  There  is  also  a  Free  Public  Library, 
and  a  Free  School  of  Art.  Thus  it  does  not  seem  that 
education  is  quite  neglected." 

'  Alas,  Sir,  such  education  is  merely  disastrous !  "  said 
Del  Fortis,  with  a  deep  sigh,  —  "Like  the  fruit  on  the 
tree  of  knowledge  in  the  Garden  of  Eden,  it  brings  death 
to  the  soul !  " 


A  Nation  or  a  Church?        35 

'  You  condemn  the  Government  methods  ?  "  asked  the 
King-  coldly. 

The  Jesuit  moved  uneasily,  and  a  dull  flush  reddened 
his  pale  skin. 

'  Far  be  it  from  me,  Sir,  as  a  poor  servant  of  the 
Church,  to  condemn  lawful  authorities, — yet  we  should 
not  forget  that  the  Government  is  temporal  and  change- 
able, —  the  Church  is  spiritual  and  changeless.  We  can- 
not look  for  entire  success  in  a  scheme  of  popular  educa- 
tion which  is  not  formulated  under  the  guidance  or  the 
blessing  of  God !  " 

The  King  leaned  forward  a  little  in  his  chair,  and  sur- 
veyed  him   fixedly. 

"  How  do  you  know  that  it  is  not  formulated  under  the 
guidance  and  blessing  of  God  ?  "  he  asked  suddenly  — 
"  Has  the  Almighty  given  you  His  special  opinion  and 
confidence  on  the  matter?" 

Monsignor  Del  Fortis  started  indignantly. 

"Sir!     Your  Majesty " 

De  Launay  made  a  step  forward,  but  the  King  mo- 
tioned him  back.  Accordingly  he  resumed  his  former 
position,  but  his  equable  temperament  was  for  once  seri- 
ously disturbed.  He  saw  that  his  Royal  master  was  evi- 
dently bent  on  speaking  his  mind ;  and  he  knew  well  what 
a  dangerous  indulgence  that  is  for  all  men  who  desire 
peace  and  quietness  in  their  lives. 

'  I  am  aware  of  what  you  would  say,"  pursued  the 
King  —  "  You  would  say  that  the  Church  —  your  Church 
—  is  the  only  establishment  of  the  kind  which  receives  di- 
rect inspiration  from  the  Creator  of  Universes.  But  I  do 
not  feel  justified  in  limiting  the  control  of  the  Almighty  to 
one  special  orbit  of  Creed.  You  tell  me  that  a  govern- 
ment system  of  education  for  the  people  is  a  purely  tem- 
poral movement,  and  that,  as  such,  it  is  not  blessed  by  the 
guidance  of  God.  Yet  the  Pope  seeks  '  temporal '  power ! 
It  is  explained  to  us  of  course  that  he  seeks  it  in  order 
that  he  may  unite  it  to  the  spiritual  in  his  own  person,  — 
theoretically  for  the  good  of  mankind,  if  practically  for 
the  advancement  of  his  own  particular  policy.  But  have 
you  never  thought,  Monsignor,  that  the  marked  severance 
of  what  you  call  'temporal'  power,  from  what  you  equally 
call   'spiritual'   power,   is    God's   work?     Inasmuch   as 


36  "Temporal  Power' 

nothing  can  be  done  without  God's  will ;  for  even  if  there 
is  a  devil  (which  I  am  inclined  to  doubt)  he  owes  his 
unhappy  existence  to  God  as  much  as  I  do !  ': 

He  smiled ;  but  Del  Fortis  stood  rigidly  silent,  his  head 
bent,  and  one  hand  folded  tight  across  his  breast,  an  atti- 
tude Sir  Roger  de  Launay  always  viewed  in  every  man 
with  suspicion,  as  it  suggested  the  concealment  of  a 
weapon. 

"  You  will  admit  "  pursued  the  King,  "  that  the  action 
of  human  thought  is  always  progressive.  Unfortunately 
your  Creed  lags  behind  human  thought  in  its  onward 
march,  thus  causing  the  intelligent  world  to  infer  that 
there  must  be  something  wrong  with  its  teaching.  For 
if  the  Church  had  always  been  in  all  respects  faithful  to 
the  teaching  of  her  Divine  Master,  she  would  be  at  this 
present  time  the  supreme  Conqueror  of  Nations.  Yet  she 
is  doing  no  more  nowadays  than  she  did  in  the  middle 
ages,  —  she  threatens,  she  intimidates,  she  persecutes  all 
who  dare  to  use  for  a  reasonable  purpose  the  brain  God 
gave  them,  —  but  she  does  not  help  on  or  sympathize 
with  the  growing  fraternity  and  civilization  of  the  world. 
It  is  impossible  not  to  recognize  this.  Yet  I  have  a  pro- 
found respect  for  each  and  every  minister  of  religion  who 
honestly  endeavours  to  follow  the  counsels  of  Christ,"  — 
here  he  paused,  —  then  added  with  slow  and  marked  em- 
phasis —  "  in  whose  Holy  Name  I  devoutly  believe  for 
the  redemption  of  whatever  there  is  in  me  worth  redeem- 
ing ;  —  nevertheless  my  first  duty,  even  in  Christ,  is 
plainly  to  the  people  of  the  country  over  which  I  am 
elected  to  rule." 

The  flickering  shadow  of  a  smile  passed  over  the 
Jesuit's  dark  features,  but  he  still  kept  silence. 

"  Therefore,"  went  on  the  King  —  "  it  is  my  unpleasant 
task  to  be  compelled  to  inform  you,  Monsignor,  that  the 
inhabitants  of  the  district  your  Order  seeks  to  take  under 
its  inflnence,  have  the  strongest  objection  to  your  pres- 
ence among  them.  So  strong  indeed  is  their  aversion 
towards  your  Society,  that  they  have  petitioned  me  in  nu- 
merous ways,  (and  with  considerable  eloquence,  too,  for 
'untaught  barbarians')  to  defend  them  from  your  visi- 
tation. Now,  to  speak  truly,  I  find  they  have  all  the 
advantages   which  modern  advancement  and   social  im- 


A  Nation  or  a  Church?        37 

provement  can  give  them,  —  they  attend  their  places  of 
public  worship  in  considerable  numbers,  and  are  on  the 
whole  decent,  God-fearing,  order-loving  subjects  to  the 
Throne,  —  and  more  I  do  not  desire  for  them  or  for  my- 
self. Criminal  cases  are  very  rare  in  the  district,  —  and 
the  poor  are  more  inclined  to  help  than  to  defraud  each 
other.  All  this  is  so  far  good,  —  and,  I  should  imagine, 
—  not  displeasing  to  God.  In  any  case,  as  their  merely 
temporal  sovereign,  I  must  decline  to  give  your  Order  any 
control  over  them." 

"You  refuse  the  concession  of  land,  Sir?"  said  Del 
Fortis,  in  a  voice  that  trembled  with  restrained  passion. 

"  To  satisfy  those  of  my  subjects  who  have  appealed  to 
me,  I  am  compelled  to  do  so,"  replied  the  King. 

"  I  pray  your  Majesty's  pardon,  but  a  portion  of  the 
land  is  held  by  private  persons  who  are  prepared  to  sell 
to  us " 

A  quick  anger  flashed  in  the  King's  eyes. 

"  They  shall  sell  to  me  if  they  sell  at  all,"  —  he  said,  — 
"  I  repeat,  Monsignor,  the  fact  that  the  law-abiding  people 
of  the  place  have  sought  their  King's  protection  from 
priestly  interference  ;  —  and,  —  by  Heaven  !  —  they  shall 
have  it !  " 

There  was  a  sudden  silence.  Sir  Roger  de  Launay 
drew  a  sharp  breath,  —  his  habitual  languor  of  mind  was 
completely  dissipated,  and  he  studied  the  inscrutable  face 
of  Del  Fortis  with  deepening  suspicion  and  disfavour. 
Not  that  there  was  the  slightest  sign  of  wrath  or  dismay 
on  the  priest's  well-disciplined  countenance ; — on  the  con- 
trarv,  a  chill  smile  illumined  it  as  he  spoke  his  next  words 
with  a  serious,  if  somewhat  forced  composure. 

"  Your  Majesty  is,  without  doubt,  all  powerful  in  your 
own  particular  domain  of  society  and  politics,"  he  said  — 
"  But  there  is  another  Majesty  higher  than  yours,  —  that 
of  the  Church,  before  which  dread  and  infallible  Tribunal 
even  kings  are  brought  to  naught " 

"  Monsignor  Del  Fortis,"  interrupted  the  King,  "  We 
have  not  met  this  morning,  I  presume,  to  indulge  in  a 
religious  polemic !  My  power  is,  as  you  very  truly  sug- 
gest, merely  temporal  —  yours  is  spiritual.  Yours  should 
be  the  strongest !  Go  your  way  now  to  your  Vicar-Gen- 
eral with  the  straight  answer  I  have  given  you,  —  but  if 


38  "Temporal  Power" 

by  your  '  spiritual '  power  you  can  persuade  the  people 
who  now  hate  your  Society,  to  love  it,  —  to  demand  it,  — 
to  beg  that  you  may  be  permitted  to  found  a  colony 
among  them,  —  why,  in  that  case,  come  to  me  again,  and 
I  will  grant  you  the  land.  I  am  not  prejudiced  one  way 
or  the  other,  but  I  will  not  hand  over  any  of  my  subjects 
to  the  influence  of  priestcraft,  so  long  as  they  desire  me 
to  defend  them  from  it." 

Del  Fortis  still  smiled. 

'  Pardon  me,  Sir,  but  we  of  the  Society  of  Jesus  are 
your  subjects  also,  and  we  judge  you  to  be  a  Christian 
and  Catholic  monarch " 

"  As  I  am,  most  assuredly ! "  replied  the  King  — 
"  Christian  and  Catholic  are  words  which,  if  I  understand 
their  meaning,  please  me  well !  '  Christian  '  expresses  a 
believer  in  and  follower  of  Christ,  — '  Catholic  '  means 
universal,  by  which,  I  take  it,  is  intended  wide,  universal 
love  and  tolerance  without  sect,  party,  or  prejudice.  In 
this  sense  the  Church  is  not  Catholic  —  it  is  merely  the 
Roman  sect.  Nor  are  you  truly  my  subjects,  since  you 
have  only  one  ruler,  the  Supreme  Pontiff,  —  with  whom  I 
am  somewhat  at  variance.  But,  as  I  have  said,  we  are  not 
here  to  indulge  in  argument.  You  came  to  proffer  a  re- 
quest ;  I  have  given  you  the  only  answer  I  conceive  fitting 
with  my  duty ;  —  the  matter  is  concluded." 

Del  Fortis  hesitated  a  moment,  —  then  bowed  low  to 
the  ground ;  —  anon,  lifting  himself,  raised  one  hand  with 
an  invocative  gesture  of  profound  solemnity. 

'  I  commend  your  Majesty  to  the  mercy  of  God,  that 
He  may  in  His  wisdom,  guard  your  life  and  soften  your 
heart  towards  the  ministers  of  His  Holy  Religion,  and 
bring  you  into  the  ways  of  righteousness  and  peace !  For 
the  rest,  I  will  report  your  Majesty's  decision  to  the  Vicar- 
General." 

'Do  so!"  —  rejoined  the  King  —  "And  assure  him 
that  the  decision  is  unalterable,  —  unless  the  inhabitants 
of  the  place  concerned  desire  to  have  it  revoked." 

Again  Del  Fortis  bowed. 

'  I  humbly  take  my  leave  of  your  Majesty! ': 

The  monarch  looked  at  him  steadfastly  as  he  made  an- 
other salutation,  and  backed  out  of  the  presence-chamber. 
Sir  Roger  de  Launay  opened  the  door  for  him  with  alac- 


A  Nation  or  a  Church?        39 

rity,  handing  him  over  into  the  charge  of  an  usher  with 
the  whispered  caution  to  see  him  well  off  the  Royal  prem- 
ises ;  and  then  returning  to  his  sovereign,  stood  "  at  at- 
tention." The  King  noted  his  somewhat  troubled  aspect, 
and  laughed. 

"  What  ails  you,  De  Launay  ?  "  he  asked  —  "  You  seem 
astonished  that  for  once  I  have  spoken  my  mind  ?  " 

"  Sir,  to  speak  one's  mind  is  always  dangerous !  " 

"  Dangerous  —  danger !  —  What  idle  words  to  make 
cowards  of  men!  Danger  —  of  what?  There  is  only 
one  danger  —  death;  and  that  is  sure  to  come  to  every 
man,  whether  he  be  a  hero  or  a  poltroon." 

"  True,  —  but " 

«  But  —  what  ?  De  Launay,  if  you  love  me,  do  not 
look  at  me  with  so  expostulatory  an  air !  It  does  not  be- 
come your  inches  !  Now  listen !  —  when  the  next  press 
reporter  comes  nosing  round  for  palace  news,  let  him  be 
told  that  the  King  has  refused  permission  to  the  Jesuits 
to  build  on  any  portion  of  the  Crown  lands  demanded  for 
the  purpose.  Let  this  be  made  known  to  Press  and  People 
—  the  sooner  the  better !  " 

"  Sir,"  murmured  De  Launay  —  "  We  live  in  strange 
times " 

"  Why,  there  you  speak  most  truly !  "  said  the  King, 
with  emphasis  —  "  We  do  live  in  strange  times  —  the 
very  strangest  perhaps,  since  /Eneas  Sylvius  wrote  con- 
cerning Christendom.  Do  you  remember  the  words  he 
set  down  so  long  ago?  — '  It  is  a  body  without  a  head,  — 
a  republic  without  laws  or  magistrates.  The  pope  or  the 
emperor  may  shine  as  lofty  titles,  as  splendid  images,  — 
but  they  are  unable  to  command,  and  no  one  is  willing  to 
obey !  '  History  thus  repeats  itself,  De  Launay  ;  —  and 
yet  with  all  its  past  experience,  the  Roman  Church  does 
not  seem  to  realize  that  it  is  powerless  against  the  attacks 
of  intellectual  common  sense.  Faith  in  God,  —  a  high, 
perfect,  pure  faith  in  God,  and  a  simple  following  of  the 
Divine  Teacher  of  God's  command,  Christ,— these  things 
are  wise  and  necessary  for  all  nations ;  but,  to  allow  hu- 
man beings  to  be  coerced  by  superstition  for  political 
motives,  under  the  disguise  of  religion,  is  an  un-Christian 
business,  and  I  for  one  will  have  no  part  in  it !  " 

"  You  will  lay  yourself  open  to  much  serious  miscon- 
struction, Sir,"  said  De  Launay. 


4_o  "Temporal  Power' 

"  Let  us  hope  so,  Roger!  "  rejoined  the  King  with  a 
smile  —  "  For  if  I  am  never  misunderstood,  I  shall  know 
myself  to  be  a  fool !  Come,  —  do  not  look  so  glum !  —  I 
want  you  to  help  me." 

"  To  help  you,  Sir?  "  exclaimed  De  Launay  eagerly,  — 
"  With  my  life,  if  you  demand  it !  " 

The  King  rested  one  hand  familiarly  on  his  shoulder. 

"  I  would  rather  take  my  own  life  than  yours,  De 
Launay!"  he  said  —  "No,  —  whatever  difficulties  I  get 
myself  into,  you  shall  not  suffer !  But  —  as  I  told  you  a 
while  ago,  —  there  is  something  in  me  that  must  have  its 
way.  I  am  sick  to  death  of  conventionalities,  —  you  must 
help  me  to  break  through  them !  You  are  right  in  saying 
that  we  live  in  strange  times ;  —  they  are  strange  times ! 
—  and  they  may  perchance  be  all  the  better  for  a  strange 
King !  " 


CHAPTER  IV 

SEALED  ORDERS 

SOME  hours  later  on,  Sir  Roger  de  Launay,  having 
left  his  Sovereign's  presence,  and  being  off  duty  for 
a  time,  betook  himself  to  certain  apartments  in  the  west 
wing  of  the  palace,  where  the  next  most  trusted  personage 
to  himself  in  the  confidence  of  the  King,  had  his  domicile, 
—  Professor  von  Glauben,  resident  physican  to  the  Royal 
Household.  Heinrich  von  Glauben  was  a  man  of  some- 
what extraordinary  character  and  individuality.  In  his 
youth  he  had  made  a  sudden  meteoric  fame  for  his  mar- 
vellous skill  and  success  in  surgery,  as  also  for  his  equally 
surprising  quickness  and  correctness  in  diagnosing  ob- 
scure diseases  and  tracing  them  to  their  source.  But, 
after  creating  a  vast  amount  of  discussion  and  opposition 
among  his  confreres,  and  almost  reaching  that  brilliant 
point  of  triumph  when  his  originality  and  cleverness  were 
proved  great  enough  to  win  him  a  host  of  enemies,  he  all 
at  once  threw  up  the  game  as  it  were,  and,  resigning  the 
favourable  opportunities  of  increasing  distinction  offered 
him  in  his  native  Germany,  accepted  the  comparatively 
retired  and  private  position  he  now  occupied.  Some  said 
it  was  a  disappointment  in  love  which  had  caused  his 
abrupt  departure  from  the  Fatherland,  —  others  declared  it 
was  irritation  at  the  severe  manner  in  which  his  surgical 
successes  had  been  handled  by  the  medical  critics,  —  but 
whatever  the  cause,  it  soon  became  evident  that  he  had 
turned  his  back  on  the  country  of  his  birth  for  ever,  and 
that  he  was  apparently  entirely  satisfied  with  the  lot  he 
had  chosen.  His  post  was  certainly  an  easy  and  pleasant 
one,  —  the  members  of  the  Royal  family  to  which  his  ser- 
vices were  attached  were  exceptionally  healthy,  as  Royal 
families  go ;  and  he  was  seldom  in  more  than  merely 
formal  attendance,  so  that  he  had  ample  time  and  oppor- 
tunity to  pursue  those  deeper  forms  of  physiological  study 


42  "Temporal  Power' 

which  had  excited  the  wrath  and  ridicule  of  his  contempo- 
raries, as  well  as  to  continue  the  writing  of  a  book  which 
he  intended  should  make  a  stir  in  the  world,  and  which 
he  had  entitled  "The  Moral  and  Political  History  of 
Hunger." 

"For,"  said  he  —  "Hunger  is  the  primal  civilizer, — 
the  very  keystone  and  foundation  of  all  progress.  From 
the  plain,  prosy,  earthy  fact  that  man  is  a  hungry  animal, 
and  must  eat,  has  sprung  all  the  civilization  of  the  world ! 
I  shall  demonstrate  this  in  my  book,  beginning  with  the 
scriptural  legend  of  Adam's  greed  for  an  apple.  Adam 
was  evidently  hungry  at  the  moment  Eve  tempted  him. 
As  soon  as  he  had  satisfied  his  inner  man,  he  thought  of 
his  outer,  —  and  his  next  idea  was,  naturally,  tailoring. 
From  this  simple  conjunction  of  suggestions,  combined 
with  what  '  God  '  would  have  to  say  to  him  concerning 
his  food-experiment  and  fig-leaf  apron,  man  has  drawn 
all  his  religions,  manners,  customs  and  morals.  The  prop- 
osition is  self-evident,  —  but  I  intend  to  point  it  out  with 
somewhat  emphasised  clearness  for  the  benefit  of  those 
persons  who  are  inclined  to  arrogate  to  themselves  the 
possession  of  superior  wisdom.  Neither  brain  nor  soul 
has  placed  man  in  a  position  of  Supremacy,  —  merely 
Hunger  and  Nakedness !  " 

The  Professor  was  now  about  fifty-five,  but  his  excep- 
tionally powerful  build  and  robust  constitution  gave  him 
the  grace  in  appearance  of  many  years  younger,  though 
perhaps  the  extreme  composure  of  his  temperament,  and 
the  philosophic  manner  in  which  he  viewed  all  circum- 
stances, whether  pleasing  or  disastrous,  may  have  exer- 
cised the  greatest  influence  in  keeping  his  eyes  clear  and 
clean,  and  his  countenance  free  of  unhandsome  wrinkles. 
He  was  more  like  a  soldier  than  a  doctor,  and  was  proud 
of  his  resemblance  to  the  earlier  portraits  of  Bismarck. 
To  see  him  in  his  own  particular  '  sanctum  '  surrounded 
by  weird-looking  diagrams  of  sundry  parts  of  the  human 
frame,  mysterious  phials  and  stoppered  flasks  containing 
various  liquids  and  crystals,  and  all  the  modern  appli- 
ances for  closely  examining  the  fearful  yet  beautiful 
secrets  of  the  living  organism,  was  as  if  one  should  look 
upon  a  rough  and  burly  giant  engaged  in  some  delicate 
manipulation  of  mosaics.     Yet  Von  Glauben's  large  hand 


Sealed  Orders  43 

was  gentler  than  a  woman's  in  its  touch  and  gift  of  heal- 
ing, —  no  surgeon  alive  could  probe  a  wound  more  ten- 
derly, or  with  less  pain  to  the  sufferer,  —  and  the  skill  of 
that  large  hand  was  accompanied  by  the  penetrative 
quality  of  the  large  benevolent  brain  which  guided  it,  —  a 
brain  that  could  encompass  the  whole  circle  of  the  world 
in  its  observant  and  affectionate  compassion. 

"  Ach  !  —  who  is  there  that  can  be  angry  with  anyone? 
—  impatient  with  anyone,  —  offended  with  anyone  !  "  he 
was  wont  to  say  —  "  Everybody  suffers  so  much  and  so 
undeservedly,  that  as  far  as  my  short  life  goes  I  have  only 
time  for  pity  —  not  condemnation  !  " 

To  this  individual,  as  a  kind  of  human  calmative  and 
tonic  combined,  Sir  Roger  de  Launay  was  in  the  habit  of 
going  whenever  he  felt  his  own  customary  tranquillity  at 
all  disturbed.  The  two  were  great  friends  ;  —  friends  in 
their  mutual  love  and  service  of  the  King,  —  friends  in 
their  equally  mutual  but  discreetly  silent  worship  of  the 
Queen,  —  and  friends  in  their  very  differences  of  opinion 
on  men  and  matters  in  general.  De  Launay,  being 
younger,  was  more  hasty  of  judgment  and  quick  in  ac- 
tion ;  but  Von  Glauben  too  had  been  known  to  draw  his 
sword  with  unexpected  rapidity  on  occasion,  to  the  dis- 
comfiture of  those  who  deemed  him  only  at  home  with  the 
scalpel.  Just  now,  however,  he  was  in  a  particularly  non- 
combative  and  philosophic  mood ;  he  was  watching  cer- 
tain animalcule  wriggling  in  a  glass  tube,  the  while  he  sat 
in  a  large  easy-chair  with  slippered  feet  resting  on  an- 
other chair  opposite,  puffing  clouds  of  smoke  from  a  big 
meerschaum,  —  and  he  did  not  stir  from  his  indolent 
attitude  when  De  Launay  entered,  but  merely  looked  up 
and  smiled  placidly. 

'Sit  down,  Roger!"  he  said,  —  then,  as  De  Launay 
obeyed  the  invitation,  he  pushed  over  a  box  of  cigars,  and 
added — "You  look  exceedingly  tired,  my  friend!  Some- 
thing has  bored  you  more  than  usual?  Take  a  lesson 
from  those  interesting  creatures !  "  and  he  pointed  with 
the  stem  of  his  pipe  to  the  bottled  animalcule  —  "  They 
are  never  bored,  —  never  weary  of  doing  mischief ! 
They  are  just  now  living  under  the  pleasing  delusion  that 
the  glass  tube  they  are  in  is  a  man,  and  that  they  are  eat- 
ing him  up  alive.     Little  devils!     Nothing  will  exhaust 


44  "Temporal  Power' 

their  vitality  till  they  have  gorged  themselves  to  death ! 
Just  like  a  great  many  human  beings!  '' 

"  I  am  not  in  the  mood  for  studying  animalculae,"  said 
De  Launay  irritably,  as  he  lit  a  cigar. 

"  No?  But  why  not?  They  are  really  quite  as  inter- 
esting as  ourselves !  " 

"  Look  here,  Von  Glauben,  I  want  you  to  be  seri- 
ous   " 

"  My  friend,  I  am  always  serious,"  declared  the  Pro- 
fessor — "  Even  when  I  laugh,  I  laugh  seriously.  My 
laughter  is  as  real  as  myself." 

"What  would  you  think,"  —  pursued  De  Launay  — 
"  of  a  king  who  freely  expressed  his  own  opinions?  " 

"  I  should  say  he  was  a  brave  man,"  answered  the  Pro- 
fessor ;  "  He  would  certainly  deserve  my  respect,  and  he 
should  have  it.  Even  if  the  laws  of  etiquette  were  not 
existent,  I  should  feel  justified  in  taking  off  my  hat  to 
him." 

"  Never  from  henceforth  wear  a  hat  at  all  then,"  said 
De  Launay  —  "  It  will  save  you  the  trouble  of  continually 
doffing  it  at  every  glimpse  of  his  Majesty!  " 

Von  Glauben  drew  his  pipe  from  his  mouth  and  gazed 
blankly  at  the  ceiling  for  a  few  moments  in  silence.  "  His 
Majesty?  "  he  presently  murmured  —  "  Our  Majesty?  " 

"Yes;  our  Majesty  —  our  King"  —  replied  De  Lau- 
nay —  "  For  some  inscrutable  reason  or  other  he  has  sud- 
denly adopted  the  dangerous  policy  of  speaking  his  mind. 
What  now?" 

"What  now?  Why  nothing  particular  just  now, — un- 
less you  have  something  to  tell  me.  Which,  judging  from 
your  entangled  expression  of  eye,  I  presume  you  have." 

De  Launay  hesitated  a  moment.  The  Professor  saw 
his  hesitation. 

"  Do  not  speak,  my  friend,  if  you  think  you  are  commit- 
ting a  breach  of  confidence,"  he  said  composedly  —  "  In 
the  brief  affairs  of  this  life,  it  is  better  to  keep  trouble  on 
your  own  mind  than  impart  it  to  others." 

"  Oh,  there  is  no  breach  of  confidence ;  "  said  De  Lau- 
nay, "  The  thing  is  as  public  as  the  day,  or  if  it  is  not 
public  already,  it  soon  will  be  made  so.  That  is  where  the 
mischief  comes  in,  —  or  so  I  think.  Judge  for  yourself !  " 
And  in  a  few  words  he  gave  the  gist  of  the  interview 


Sealed  Orders  45 

which  had  taken  place  between  the  King  and  the  emissary 
of  the  Jesfiits  that  morning. 

"  Nothing  surprises  me  as  a  rule,"  —  said  the  Profes- 
sor, when  he  had  heard  all  —  "  But  if  anything  could 
prick  the  sense  of  astonishment  anew  in  me,  it  would  be  to 
think  that  anyone,  king  or  commoner,  should  take  the 
trouble  to  speak  truth  to  a  Jesuit.  Why,  the  very  essence 
of  their  carefully  composed  and  diplomatic  creed,  is  to  so 
disguise  truth  that  it  shall  be  no  more  recognisable.  My- 
self, I  believe  the  Jesuits  to  be  the  lineal  descendants  of 
those  priests  who  served  Bel  and  the  Dragon.  The  art  of 
conjuring  and  deception  is  in  their  very  blood.  It  is  for 
the  Jesuits  that  I  have  invented  a  beautiful  new  verb,  — 
'  To  hypocrise.'  It  sounds  well.  Here  is  the  present 
tense,  — '  I  hypocrise,  Thou  hypocrisest,  He  hypocrises : 
—  We  hypocrise,  You  hypocrise,  They  hypocrise.'  Now 
hear  the  future.  '  I  shall  hypocrise,  Thou  shalt  hypocrise, 
He  shall  hypocrise ;  We  shall  hypocrise,  You  shall  hypo- 
crise, They  shall  hypocrise.'  There  is  the  whole  art  of 
Jesuitry  for  you,  made  grammatically  perfect!" 

De  Launay  gave  a  gesture  of  impatience,  and  flung 
away  the  end  of  his  half-smoked  cigar. 

"  Ach!  That  is  a  sign  of  temper,  Roger!  "  said  Von 
Glauben,  shaking  his  head  —  "To  lift  one's  shoulders  to 
the  lobes  of  one's  ears,  and  waste  nearly  the  half  of  an  ex- 
ceedingly expensive  and  choice  Havana,  shows  nervous 
irritation !     You  are  angry,  my  friend  —  and  with  me !  " 

"  No  I  am  not,"  replied  De  Launay,  rising  from  his 
chair  and  beginning  to  pace  the  room  —  "  But  I  do  not 
profess  to  have  your  phlegmatic  disposition.  I  feel  what 
I  thought  you  would  feel  also,  —  that  the  King  is  expos- 
ing himself  to  unnecessary  danger.  And  I  know  what  you 
do  not  yet  know,  but  what  this  letter  will  no  doubt  inform 
you,"  —  and  he  drew  an  envelope  bearing  the  Royal 
seal  from  his  pocket  and  handed  it  to  the  Professor  — 
"  Namely, — that  his  Majesty  is  bent  on  rushing  volun- 
tarily into  various  other  perils,  unless  perhaps,  your  warn- 
ing or  advice  may  hinder  him.  Mine  has  no  effect,  — 
moreover  I  am  bound  to  serve  him  as  he  bids." 

"  Equally  am  I  also  bound  to  serve  him  ;  "  —  said  Von 
Glauben,  "  And  gladly  and  faithfully  do  I  intend  to  per- 
form my  service  wherever  it  may  lead  me !  "    Whereupon, 


46 


"Temporal  Power 


■>  y 


shaking  himself  out  of  his  recumbent  position,  like  a  great 
lion  rolling  out  of  his  lair,  he  stood  upright,  and  breaking 
the  seal  of  the  envelope  he  held,  read  its  contents  through 
in  silence.  Sir  Roger  stood  opposite  to  him,  watching 
his  face  in  vain  for  any  sign  of  astonishment,  regret  or 
dismay. 

"  We  must  do  as  he  commands,"  —  he  said  simply  as 
he  finished  reading  the  letter  and  folded  it  up  for  safe 
keeping  —  "  There  is  no  other  way;  not  for  me  at  least. 
I  shall  most  assuredly  be  at  the  appointed  place,  at  the 
appointed  hour,  and  in  the  appointed  manner.  It  will  be 
a  change ;    certainly  lively,  and  possibly  beneficial !  r 

"  But  the  Kind's  life " 


*te 


'  Is  in  God's  keeping !  "  said  Von  Glauben,  —  "  Believe 
me,  Roger,  no  harm  comes  undeservedly  to  a  brave  man 
with  a  good  conscience !  It  is  a  bad  conscience  which 
invites  mischief.  I  am  a  great  believer  in  the  law  of 
attraction.  The  good  attracts  the  good,  —  the  bad,  the 
bad.  That  is  why  truthful  persons  are  generally  lonely 
—  because  nearly  all  the  world's  inhabitants  are  liars !  " 

"  But  the  King  —  "  again  began  Sir  Roger. 

"  The  King  is  a  man!  "  said  Von  Glauben,  with  a  flash 
of  pride  in  his  eyes  —  "  Which  is  more  than  I  will  say  for 
most  kings !  Who  shall  blame  him  for  asserting  his  man- 
hood ?  Not  I !  Not  you !  Who  shall  blame  him  for  seek- 
ing to  know  the  real  position  of  things  in  the  country  he 
governs  ?  Not  I !  Not  you !  Our  business  is  to  guard 
and  defend  him  —  with  our  own  lives,  if  necessary,  —  we 
shall  do  that  with  a  will,  Roger,  shall  we  not  ?  "  And 
with  an  impulsive  quickness  of  action,  he  took  a  sword 
from  a  stand  of  weapons  near  him,  drew  it  from  its  scab- 
bard and  kissing  the  hilt,  held  it  out  to  De  Launay  who 
did  the  same  —  "  That  is  understood !  And  for  the  rest, 
Roger  my  friend,  take  it  all  lightly  and  easily  —  as  a 
farce !  —  as  a  bit  of  human  comedy,  with  a  great  actor 
cast  for  the  chief  role.  We  are  only  supers,  you  and  I, 
but  we  shall  do  well  to  stand  near  the  wings  in  case  of 
fire !  " 

He  drew  himself  up  to  his  great  height  and  squared 
his  shoulders,  —  then  smiled  benevolently. 

'  I  believe  it  will  be  all  very  amusing,  Roger ;  and  that 
your  fears  for  the  safety  of  his  Majesty  will  be  proved 


<< 


Sealed  Orders  47 

groundless.  Remember,  Court  life  is  excessively  dull,  — 
truly  the  dullest  form  of  existence  on  earth,  —  it  is  quite 
natural  that  he  who  is  the  most  bored  by  it  should  desire 
some  break  in  the  terrible  monotony !  " 

'  The  monotony  will  certainly  be  broken  with  a  ven- 
geance, if  the  King  continues  in  his  present  humour!  "  — 
said  De  Launay  grimly. 

"  Possibly !  And  let  us  hope  the  comfortable  self- 
assurance  and  complacency  of  a  certain  successful  Min- 
ister may  be  somewhat  seriously  disturbed!"  rejoined 
Von  Glauben,  —  "  For  myself,  I  assure  you  I  see  sport !  " 

"  And  I  scent  danger,"  —  said  De  Launay  —  "  For  if 
any  mischance  happen  to  the  King,  the  Prince  is  not  ripe 
enough  to  rule." 

A  slight  shadow  darkened  the  Professor's  open  coun- 
tenance. He  looked  fixedly  at  Sir  Roger,  who  met  his 
gaze  with  equal  fixity. 

'The   Prince,"  —  he   said   slowly  —  "is   young " 

And  rash  —  "  interposed  De  Launay. 
No.      Pardon   me,   my   friend !      Not   rash.      Merely 
honest.     That  is  all !     He  is  a  very  honest  young  man 
indeed.    It  is  unfortunate  that  he  is  so ;  a  ploughman  may 
be  honest  if  he  likes,  but  a  prince  —  never !  " 

De  Launay  was  silent. 

'  I  will  now  destroy  a  world "  —  continued  Von 
Glauben,  "  Kings,  emperors,  popes,  councillors  and  com- 
mon folk,  can  all  perish  incontinently,  —  as  —  being  my- 
self for  the  present  the  free  agent  of  the  Deity  concerned 
in  the  matter,  —  I  have  something  else  to  do  than  to  look 
after  them,"  —  and  he  took  up  the  glass  vessel  contain- 
ing the  animalculae  he  had  been  watching,  and  cast  it  with 
its  contents  into  a  small  stove  burning  dimly  at  one  end 
of  the  apartment,  —  "  Gone  are  their  ambitions  and  con- 
fabulations for  ever !  How  easy  for  the  Creator  to  do  the 
same  thing  with  us,  Roger!  Let  us  not  talk  of  any 
special  danger  for  the  King  or  for  any  man,  seeing  that 
we  are  all  on  the  edge  of  an  eternal  volcano !  " 

De  Launay  stood  absorbed  for  a  moment,  as  if  in  deep 
thought.     Then  rousing  himself  abruptly  he  said :  — 

'  You  will  not  see  the  King,  and  speak  with  him  before 
to-morrow  night  ?  " 

"Why  should  I?"  queried  the  Professor.     "His  wish 


■>} 


48  "Temporal  Power 

is  a  command  which  I  must  obey.  Besides,  my  good 
Roger,  all  the  arguments  in  the  world  will  not  turn  a 
man  from  having  his  own  way  if  he  has  once  made 
up  his  own  mind.  Advice  from  me  on  the  present 
matter  would  be  merely  taken  as  an  impertinence.  More- 
over I  have  no  advice  to  give,  —  I  rather  approve  of  the 
plan !  " 

Sir  Roger  looked  at  him ;  and  noting  the  humorous 
twinkle  in  his  eyes  smiled,  though  somewhat  gravely. 

"  I  hope,  with  you,  that  the  experiment  may  only  prove 
an  amusing  one,"  he  said  — "  But  life  is  not  always  a 
farce !  " 

:'  Not  always,  but  often !  When  it  is  not  a  farce  it  is  a 
tragedy.  And  such  a  tragedy!  My  God!  Horrible  — 
monstrous  —  cruel  beyond  conception,  and  enough  to 
make  one  believe  in  Hell  and  doubt  Heaven !  ': 

He  spoke  passionately,  in  a  voice  vibrating  with  strong 
emotion.  De  Launay  glanced  at  him  wonderingly,  but 
did  not  speak. 

"  When  you  see  tender  young  children  tortured  by  dis- 
ease," he  went  on,  —  "  Fair  and  gentle  women  made  the 
victims  of  outrage  and  brutality  —  strong  men  killed  in 
their  thousands  to  gain  a  little  additional  gold,  an  extra 
slice  of  empire,  —  then  you  see  the  tragic,  the  inexpli- 
cable, the  crazy  cruelty  of  putting  into  us  this  little  pulse 
called  Life.  But  I  try  not  to  think  of  this  —  it  is  no  use 
thinking !  " 

He  paused,  —  then  in  his  usual  quiet  tone  said : 

"  To-morrow  night,  then,  my  friend  ?  " 

"  To-morrow  night,"  rejoined  De  Launay,  —  "  Unless 
you  receive  further  instructions  from  the  King." 

At  that  moment  the  clear  call  of  a  trumpet  echoing 
across  the  battlements  of  the  palace  denoted  the  hour  for 
changing  the  sentry. 

;'  Sunset  already !  "  said  Von  Glauben,  walking  to  the 
window  and  throwing  back  the  heavy  curtain  which  par- 
tially shaded  it,  "  And  yonder  is  Prince  Humphry's  yacht 
on  its  homeward  way." 

De  Launay  came  and  stood  beside  him,  looking  out. 
Before  them  the  sea  glistened  with  a  thousand  tints  of 
lustrous  opal  in  the  light  of  the  sinking  sun,  which,  sur- 
rounded by  mountainous  heights  of  orange  and  purple 


Sealed  Orders  49 


cloud,  began  to  touch  the  water-line  with  a  thousand  ar- 
rowy darts  of  flame.  The  white-sailed  vessel  on  which 
their  eyes  were  fixed,  came  curtseying  over  the  waves 
through  a  perfect  arch  of  splendid  colour,  like  a  fairy  or 
phantom  ship  evoked  from  a  poet's  dream. 

"  Absent  all  day,  as  he  has  been,"  said  De  Launay,  "  his 
Royal  Highness  is  punctual  to  the  promised  hour  of  his 
return." 

"He  is,  as  I  told  you,  honest ;"  said  Von  Glauben,  "and 
it  is  possible  his  honesty  will  be  his  misfortune." 

De  Launay  muttered  something  inaudible  in  answer, 
and  turned  to  leave  the  apartment. 

Von  Glauben  looked  at  him  with  an  affectionate 
solicitude. 

'  What  a  lucky  thing  it  is  you  never  married,  Roger ! 
Otherwise  you  would  now  be  going  to  tell  your  wife  all 
about  the  King's  plans !  Then  she,  sweet  creature,  would 
go  to  confession, — and  her  confessor  would  tell  a  bishop, 
-  and  a  bishop  would  tell  a  cardinal,  —  and  a  cardinal 
would  tell  a  confidential  monsignor,  —  and  the  confiden- 
tial monsignor  would  tell  the  Supreme  Pontiff,  —  and  so 
all  the  world  would  be  ringing  with  the  news  started  by 
one  little  pretty  wagging  tongue  of  a  woman !  " 

A  faint  flush  coloured  De  Launay's  bronzed  cheek,  but 
he  laughed. 

:  True !  I  am  glad  I  have  never  married.  I  am  still 
more  glad — of  circumstances" — he  paused, — then  went 
on,  "  which  have  so  chanced  to  me  that  I  shall  never 
marry."  He  paused  again  —  then  added  —  "I  must  be 
gone,  Von  Glauben !  I  have  to  meet  Prince  Humphrv  at 
the  quay  with  a  message  from  his  Majesty." 

;'  Surely,"  said  the  Professor,  opening  his  eyes  very 
wide,  '  The  Prince  is  not  to  be  included  in  our  ad- 
venture ?  " 

'  By  no  means !  "  replied  De  Launay,  — "  But  the  King 
is  not  pleased  with  his  son's  frecpient  absences  from 
Court,  and  desires  to  speak  with  him  on  the  matter." 

Von  Glauben  looked  grave. 

'  There  will  be  some  little  trouble  there,"  he  said,  with 
a  half  sigh  —  "  Ach  !  Who  knows  !  Perhaps  some  great 
trouble !  " 

'  Heaven  forbid !  "  ejaculated  Sir  Roger,  —  "  We  live 

4 


50  "Temporal  Power' 

in  times  of  peace.  We  want  no  dissension  with  either  the 
King  or  the  people.     Till  to-morrow  night  then  ?  " 

"  Till  to-morrow  night !  "  responded  Von  Glauben, 
whereupon  Sir  Roger  with  a  brief  word  of  farewell, 
strode  away. 

Left  to  himself,  the  Professor  still  stood  at  his  window 
watching  the  approach  of  the  Prince's  yacht,  which  came 
towards  the  shore  with  such  swift  and  stately  motion 
through  the  portals  of  the  sunset,  over  the  sparkling 
water. 

"  Unfortunate  Humphry  !  "  he  muttered,  —  "  What  a 
secret  he  has  entrusted  me  with !  And  yet  why  do  I  call 
him  unfortunate?  There  should  be  nothing  to  regret  — 
and  yet  —  !  Well !  The  mischief  was  done  before  poor 
Heinrich  von  Glauben  was  consulted ;  and  if  poor  Hein- 
rich  were  God  and  the  Devil  rolled  into  one  strange  Eter- 
nal Monster,  he  could  not  have  prevented  it !  What  is 
done,  can  never  be  undone !  " 


CHAPTER   V 

"  IF    I    LOVED   YOU  !  " 

A  SINGULAR  pomp  is  sometimes  associated  with  the 
announcement  that  my  Lord  Pedigree,  or  Mister 
Nobody  has  '  had  the  honour  of  dining  '  with  their  Maj- 
esties the  King  and  Queen.  Outsiders  read  the  thrilling 
line  with  awe  and  envy,  —  and  many  of  them  are  foolish 
enough  to  wish  that  they  also  were  Lords  Pedigree  or 
Misters  Nobody.  As  a  matter  of  sad  and  sober  fact, 
however,  a  dinner  with  royal  personages  is  an  extremely 
dull  affair.  '  Do  not  speak  unless  you  are  spoken  to,'  is  a 
rule  which,  however  excellent  and  necessary  in  Court  eti- 
quette, is  apt  to  utterly  quench  conversation,  and  render 
the  brightest  spirits  dull  and  inert.  The  silent  and  sol- 
emn movements  of  the  Court  flunkeys,  —  the  painful  atti- 
tudes of  those  who  are  not  'spoken  to';  the  eager  yet 
laboured  smiles  of  those  who  are  '  spoken  to  ' ;  —  the  mel- 
ancholy efforts  at  gaiety  —  the  dread  of  trespassing  on 
tabooed  subjects  —  these  things  tend  to  make  all  but  the 
most  independent  and  unfettered  minds  shrink  from  such 
an  ordeal  as  the  '  honour  '  of  dining  with  kings.  It  must, 
however,  be  conceded  that  the  kings  themselves  are  fully 
aware  of  the  tediousness  of  their  dinner  parties,  and 
would  lighten  the  boredom  if  they  could ;  but  etiquette 
forbids.  The  particular  monarch  whose  humours  are  the 
subject  of  this  '  plain  unvarnished  '  history  would  have 
liked  nothing  better  than  to  be  allowed  to  dine  in  simplic- 
ity and  peace  without  his  conversation  being  noted,  and 
without  having  a  flunkey  at  hand  to  watch  every  morsel 
of  food  2:0  into  his  mouth.  He  would  have  liked  to  eat 
freely,  talk  freely,  and  conduct  himself  generally  with  the 
ease  of  a  private  gentleman. 

All  this  being  denied  to  him,  he  hated  the  dinner-hour 
as  ardently  as  he  hated  receiving  illuminated  addresses, 


52  "Temporal  Power" 

and  the  freedom  of  cities.  Yet  all  things  costly  and 
beautiful  were  combined  to  make  his  royal  table  a  pic- 
ture which  would  have  pleased  the  eyes  and  taste  of  a 
Marguerite  de  Valois.  On  the  evening  of  the  day  on 
which  he  had  determined,  as  he  had  said  to  himself,  to 
'  begin  to  reign,'  it  looked  more  than  usually  attractive. 
Some  trifling  chance  had  made  the  floral  decorations  more 
tasteful — some  amiable  humour  of  the  providence  which 
rules  daily  events,  had  ordained  that  two  or  three  of 
the  prettiest  Court  ladies  should  be  present ;  —  Prince 
Humphry  and  his  two  brothers,  Rupert  and  Cyprian, 
were  at  table,  —  and  though  conversation  was  slow  and 
scant,  the  picturesqueness  of  the  scene  was  not  destroyed 
by  silence.  The  apartment  which  was  used  as  a  private 
dining-room  when  their  Majesties  had  no  guests  save  the 
members  of  their  own  household,  was  in  itself  a  gem  of 
art  and  architecture,  —  it  had  been  designed  and  painted 
from  floor  to  ceiling  by  one  of  the  most  famous  of  the 
dead  and  gone  masters,  and  its  broad  windows  opened 
out  on  a  white  marble  loggia  fronting  the  ocean,  where 
festoons  of  flowers  clambered  and  hung,  in  natural  tufts 
and  trails  of  foliage  and  blossom,  mingling  their  sweet 
odours  with  the  fresh  scent  of  the  sea.  Amid  all  the  glow 
and  delicacy  of  colour,  the  crowning  perfection  of  the  per- 
fect environment  was  the  Queen-Consort,  lovelier  in  her 
middle-age  than  most  women  in  their  teens.  An  exquisite 
figure  of  stateliness  and  dignity,  robed  in  such  hues  and 
adorned  with  such  jewels  as  best  suited  her  statuesque 
beauty,  and  attended  by  ladies  of  whose  more  youthful 
charms  she  was  never  envious,  having  indeed  no  cause  for 
envy,  she  was  a  living  defiance  to  the  ravages  of  time,  and 
graced  her  royal  husband's  dinner-table  with  the  same  in- 
different ease  as  she  graced  his  throne,  unchanging  in  the 
dazzling  light  of  her  physical  faultlessness.  He,  looking 
at  her  with  mingled  impatience  and  sadness,  almost 
wished  she  would  grow  older  in  appearance  with  her 
years,  and  lose  that  perfect  skin,  white  as  alabaster,  — 
that  glittering  but  cold  luminance  of  eye.  For  experi- 
ence had  taught  him  the  worthlessness  of  beauty  unac- 
companied by  tenderness,  and  fair  faces  had  no  longer 
the  first  attraction  for  him.  His  eldest  son,  Prince 
Humphry,   bore  a   strong  resemblance  to  himself,  —  he 


"If  I  Loved  You!"  53 

was  tall  and  slim,  with  a  fine  face,  and  a  well-built  mus- 
cular figure ;  the  other  two  younger  princes,  Rupert  and 
Cyprian,  aged  respectively  eighteen  and  sixteen,  were  like 
their  mother,  —  beautiful  in  form  and  feature,  but  as  in- 
different to  all  tenderness  of  thought  and  sentiment  as 
they  were  full  of  splendid  health  and  vigour.  And,  de- 
spite the  fact  that  the  composition  and  surroundings  of 
his  household  were,  to  all  outward  appearances,  as  satis- 
factory as  a  man  in  his  position  could  expect  them  to  be, 
the  King  was  intellectually  and  spiritually  aware  of  the 
emptiness  of  the  shell  he  called  '  home.' 

Love  was  lacking ;  his  beautiful  wife  was  the  ice-wall 
against  which  all  waves  of  feeling  froze  as  they  fell  into 
the  stillness  of  death.  His  sons  had  been  born  as  the  foals 
of  a  racing  stud  might  be  born,  ■ —  merely  to  continue  the 
line  of  blood  and  succession.  They  were  not  the  dear  off- 
spring of  passion  or  of  tenderness.  The  coldness  of  their 
mother's  nature  was  strongly  engendered  in  them,  and  so 
far  they  had  never  shown  any  particular  affection  for 
their  parents.  The  princes  Rupert  and  Cyprian  thought 
of  nothing  all  day  but  sports  and  games  of  skill ;  they 
studied  serious  tasks  unwillingly,  and  found  their  posi- 
tion as  sons  of  the  reigning  monarch,  irksome,  and  even 
ridiculous.  They  had  caught  the  infection  of  that  dis- 
eased idea  which  in  various  exaggerated  forms  is  tending 
to  become  more  or  less  universal,  and  to  work  great  mis- 
chief to  nations,  —  namely,  that  '  sport '  is  more  impor- 
tant than  policy,  and  that  all  matters  relating  to  '  sport,' 
are  more  worth  attention  than  wisdom  in  government. 
Of  patriotism,  or  love  of  country  they  had  none ;  and 
laughed  to  scorn  the  grand  old  traditions  and  sentiments 
of  national  glory  and  honour,  which  had  formerly  in- 
spired the  poets  of  their  land  to  many  a  wild  and  beauti- 
ful chant  of  battle  or  of  victory.  How  to  pass  the  day 
—  how  best  to  amuse  themselves  —  this  was  their  first 
thought  on  waking  every  morning,  —  football,  cricket, 
tennis  and  wrestling  formed  their  chief  subjects  of  con- 
versation ;  and  though  they  had  professors  and  tutors  of 
the  most  qualified  and  certificated  ability,  they  made  no 
secret  of  their  utter  contempt  for  all  learning  and  litera- 
ture. They  were  fine  young  animals ;  but  did  less  with 
the  brains  bestowed  upon  them  than  the  working  bee  who 


54  "Temporal  Power" 

makes  provision  of  honey  for  the  winter,  or  the  swallow 
that  builds  its  nest  under  warmly  sheltered  eaves. 

Prince  Humphry,  however,  was  of  a  different  nature. 
From  a  shy,  somewhat  unmanageable  boy,  he  had  devel- 
oped into  a  quiet,  dreamy  youth,  fond  of  books,  music, 
and  romantic  surroundings.  He  avoided  the  company  of 
his  brothers  whenever  it  was  possible ;  their  loud  voices, 
boisterous  spirits  and  perpetual  chatter  concerning  the 
champions  of  this  or  that  race  or  match,  bored  him  infi- 
nitely, and  he  was  at  no  pains  to  disguise  his  boredom. 
During  the  last  year  he  seemed  to  have  grown  up  sud- 
denly into  full  manhood,  —  he  had  begun  to  assert  his 
privileges  as  Heir- Apparent,  and  to  enjoy  the  freedom 
his  position  allowed  him.  Yet  the  manner  of  his  enjoy- 
ment was  somewhat  singular  for  a  young  man  who 
formed  a  central  figure  in  the  circle  of  the  land's  Roy- 
alty, —  he  cared  nothing  at  all  for  the  amusements  and 
dissipations  of  the  time ;  he  merely  showed  an  abnormal 
love  of  solitude,  which  was  highly  unflattering  to  fashion- 
able society.  It  was  on  this  subject  that  the  King  had  de- 
cided to  speak  with  him,  —  and  he  watched  him  with 
closer  attention  than  usual  on  this  particular  evening 
when  his  habit  of  absenting  himself  all  day  in  his  yacht 
had  again  excited  comment.  It  was  easy  to  see  that  the 
Prince  had  been  annoyed  by  the  message  Sir  Roger  de 
Launay  had  conveyed  to  him  on  his  arrival  home,  —  a 
message  to  the  effect  that,  as  soon  as  dinner  was  con- 
cluded, he  was  required  to  attend  his  Majesty  in  private; 
and  all  through  the  stately  and  formal  repast,  his  evident 
irritation  and  impatience  cast  a  shadow  of  vague  embar- 
rassment over  the  royal  party,  —  with  the  exception  of 
the  princes  Rupert  and  Cyprian,  who  were  never  embar- 
rassed by  anything,  and  who  were  more  apt  to  be  amused 
than  disquieted  by  the  vexation  of  others.  Welcome  re- 
lief was  at  last  given  by  the  serving  of  coffee,  —  and  the 
Queen  and  all  her  ladies  adjourned  to  their  own  apart- 
ments. With  their  departure  the  rest  of  the  circle  soon 
dispersed,  there  being  no  special  guests  present ;  and  at 
a  sign  from  De  Launay,  Prince  Humphry  reluctantly  fol- 
lowed his  father  into  a  small  private  smoking-room  adja- 
cent to  the  open  loggia,  where  the  equerry,  bowing  low, 
left  the  two  together. 


"If  I  Loved  You!"  55 

For  a  moment  the  King'  kept  silence,  while  he  chose  a 
cigar  from  the  silver  hox  on  the  table.  Then,  lighting  it, 
he  handed  the  box  courteously  to  his  son. 

"Will  you  smoke,  Humphry?" 

"Thanks,  Sir,  —  no." 

The  King  seated  himself ;  Prince  Humphry  remained 
standing. 

"  You  had  a  favourable  wind  for  your  expedition  to- 
day ;  "  said  the  monarch  at  last,  beginning  to  smoke 
placidly  —  "I  observe  that  The  Islands  appear  to  have 
won  special  notice  from  you.  What  is  the  attraction? 
The  climate  or  the  scenery  ?  " 

The  Prince  was  silent. 

"  I  like  fine  scenery  myself,  —  "  continued  the  King  — 
"  I  also  like  a  change  of  air.  But  variation  in  both  is  al- 
ways desirable,  —  and  for  this,  it  is  unwise  to  .go  to  the 
same  place  every  day !  " 

Still  the  Prince  said  nothing.  His  father  looked  up  and 
studied  his  face  attentively,  but  could  guess  nothing  from 
its  enigmatical  expression. 

"  You  seem  tongue-tied,  Humphry!"  he  said — "Come, 
sit  down !  Let  us  talk  this  out.  Can  you  not  trust  me, 
your  father,  as  a  friend  ?  " 

"  I  wish  I  could !  "  answered  the  young  man,  half 
inaudibly. 

"  And  can  you  not?  " 

"  No.    You  have  never  loved  me !  " 

The  King  drew  his  cigar  from  his  mouth,  and  flick- 
ing off  a  morsel  of  ash,  looked  at  its  end  meditatively. 

"  Well  —  no  !  —  I  cannot  say  honestly  that  I  have. 
Love,  —  it  is  a  ridiculous  word,  Humphry,  but  it  has  a 
meaning  on  certain  occasions !  —  love  for  the  children  of 
your  mother  is  an  impossibility !  " 

"  Sir,  I  am  not  to  blame  for  my  mother's  disposition." 

"  True  —  very  true.  You  are  not  to  blame.  But  you 
exist.  And  that  you  do  exist  is  a  fact  of  national  impor- 
tance.   Will  you  not  sit  down?  " 

"  At  your  command,  Sir !  "  and  the  Prince  seated  him- 
self opposite  his  father,  who  having  studied  his  cigar 
sufficiently,  replaced  it  between  his  lips  and  went  on 
smoking  for  a  few  minutes  before  he  spoke  again.  Then 
he  resumed :  — 


yy 


56  "Temporal  Power 

"  Your  existence,  I  repeat,  Humphry,  is  a  fact  of  na- 
tional importance.  To  you  falls  the  Throne  when  I  have 
done  with  it,  and  life  has  done  with  me.  Therefore,  your 
conduct,  —  your  mode  of  life  —  your  example  in  manners 
—  concern,  not  me,  so  much  as  the  nation.  You  say  that 
you  cannot  trust  me  as  a  friend,  because  I  have  never 
loved  you.  Is  not  this  a  somewhat  childish  remark  on 
your  part  ?  We  live  in  a  very  practical  age  —  love  is  not 
a  necessary  tie  between  human  beings  as  things  go  now- 
adays; —  the  closest  bond  of  friendship  rests  on  the  basis 
of  cash  accounts." 

"  I  am  perfectly  aware  of  that !  "  said  the  Prince,  fixing 
his  fine  dark  eyes  full  on  his  father's  face  —  "And  yet, 
after  all,  love  is  such  a  vital  necessity,  that  I  have  only  to 
look  at  you,  in  order  to  realize  the  failure  and  mistake  of 
trying  to  do  without  it !  " 

The  King  gave  him  a  glance  of  whimsical  surprise. 

"  So!  —  vou  have  begun  to  notice  what  I  have  known 
for  years!"  he  said  lightly — "Clever  young  man!  What 
fine  fairy  finger  is  pointing  out  to  you  my  deficiencies, 
while  supplying  your  own?  Do  you  learn  to  estimate  the 
priceless  value  of  love  while  contemplating  the  romantic 
groves  and  woodlands  of  The  Islands?  Do  you  read 
poetry  there?  —  or  write  it?     Or  talk  it?" 

Prince  Humphry  coloured,  —  then  grew  very  pale. 

"  When  I  misuse  my  time.  Sir,"  he  said  —  "  Surely  it 
will  then  be  needful  to  catechise  me  on  the  manner  in 
which  I  spend  it,  —  but  not  till  then!" 

"  Fairly  put !  "  answered  the  King  —  "  But  I  have  an 
idea  —  it  may  be  a  mistaken  idea,  —  still  I  have  it  —  that 
you  arc  misusing  your  time,  Humphry!  And  this  is  the 
cause  of  our  present  little  discussion.  If  I  knew  that  you 
occupied  yourself  with  the  pleasures  befitting  your  age 
and  rank,  I  should  be  more  at  ease." 

"  What  do  you  consider  to  be  the  pleasures  befitting  my 
age  and  rank?  "  asked  the  Prince  with  a  touch  of  satire; 
"  Making  a  fool  of  myself  generally?  " 

The  King  smiled. 

"  Well !  —  it  would  be  better  to  make  a  fool  of  yourself 
generally  than  particularly  !  Folly  is  not  so  harmful  when 
spread  like  jam  over  a  whole  slice  of  bread,  —  but  it  may 
cause  a  life-long  sickness,  if  swallowed  in  one  secret  gulp 
of  sweetness !  " 


"If  I  Loved  You!"  57 

The  Prince  moved  uneasily. 

'  You  think  I  am  catechising-  you,  —  and  you  resent  it 
—  but,  my  dear  boy,  let  me  again  remind  you  that  you  are 
in  a  manner  answerable  to  the  nation  for  your  actions ; 
and  especially  to  that  particular  section  of  the  nation 
called  Society.  Society  is  the  least  and  worst  part  of  the 
whole  community  —  but  it  has  to  be  considered  by  such 
servants  of  the  public  as  ourselves.  You  know  what 
James  the  First  of  England  wrote  concerning  the  '  do- 
mestic regulations  '  on  the  conduct  of  a  prince  and  future 
king  ?  '  A  king  is  set  as  one  on  a  stage,  whose  smallest 
actions  and  gestures  all  the  people  gazinglie  do  behold ; 
and,  however  just  in  the  discharge  of  his  office,  yet  if  his 
behaviour  be  light  or  dissolute,  in  indifferent  actions,  the 
people,  who  see  but  the  outward  part,  conceive  preoccu- 
pied conceits  of  the  king's  inward  intention,  which  al- 
though with  time,  the  trier  of  all  truth,  will  evanish  by 
the  evidence  of  the  contrarie  effect,  yet,  interim  patitur 
Justus,  and  prejudged  conceits  will,  in  the  meantime,  breed 
contempt,  the  mother  of  rebellion  and  disorder.'  Poor 
James  of  the  '  goggle  eyes  and  large  hysterical  heart '  as 
Carlyle  describes  him !  Do  you  not  agree  with  his  esti- 
mate of  a  royal  position  ?  " 

"  I  am  not  aware,  Sir,  that  my  behaviour  can  as  yet  be 
called  light  or  dissolute ;  "  replied  the  Prince  coldly,  with 
a  touch  of  hauteur. 

"I  do  not  call  it  so,  Humphry"  —  said  the  King  — 
'  To  the  best  of  my  knowledge,  your  conduct  has  always 
been  most  exemplary.  But  with  all  your  excessive  de- 
corum, you  are  mysterious.  That  is  bad !  Society  will 
not  endure  being  kept  in  the  dark,  or  outside  the  door  of 
things,  like  a  bad  child !  It  wants  to  be  in  the  room,  and 
know  everything  and  everybody.  And  this  reminds  me 
of  another  point  on  which  the  good  English  James  offers 
sound  advice.  '  Remember  to  be  plaine  and  sensible  in 
your  language ;  for  besides,  it  is  the  tongue's  office  to  be 
the  messenger  of  the  mind,  it  may  be  thought  a  point  of 
imbecilitie  of  spirit,  in  a  king  to  speak  obscurely,  much 
more  untrewly,  as  if  he  stood  in  awe  of  any  in  uttering 
his  thoughts.'  That  is  precisely  your  mood  at  the  pres- 
ent moment,  Humphry,  —  you  stand  '  in  awe  '  —  of  me 
or  of  someone  else,  —  in  '  uttering  your  thoughts.' : 


58  "Temporal  Power' 

"  Pardon  me,  Sir,  —  I  do  not  stand  in  awe  of  you  or  of 
anyone ;  "  said  the  Prince  composedly  —  "I  simply  do 
not  choose  to  '  utter  my  thoughts  '  just  now." 

The  King  looked  at  him  in  surprise,  and  with  a  touch 
of  admiration.  The  defiant  air  he  had  unconsciously  as- 
sumed became  him,  —  his  handsome  face  was  pale,  and 
his  dark  eyes  coldly  brilliant,  like  those  of  his  beautiful 
mother,  with  the  steel  light  of  an  inflexible  resolve. 

"  You  do  not  choose?  "  said  the  King,  after  a  pause  — 
"  You  decline  to  give  any  explanation  of  your  long  hours 
of  absence  ?  —  your  constant  visits  to  The  Islands,  and 
your  neglect  of  those  social  duties  which  should  keep  you 
at  Court?" 

"  I  decline  to  do  so  for  the  present,"  replied  the  young 
man  decisively ;  "  I  can  see  no  harm  in  my  preference  for 
quietness  rather  than  noise,  —  for  scenes  of  nature  rather 
than  those  of  artificial  folly.  The  Islands  are  but  two 
hours  sail  from  this  port,  —  little  tufts  of  land  set  in  the 
sea,  where  the  coral-fishers  dwell.  They  are  beautiful  in 
their  natural  adornment  of  foliage  and  flower ;  —  I  go 
there  to  read  —  to  dream  —  to  think  of  life  as  a  better, 
purer  thing  than  what  you  call  '  society  '  would  make  it 
for  me ;    you  cannot  blame  me  for  this  ?  " 

The  King  was  silent. 

"  If  it  is  your  wish,"  —  went  on  the  Prince  —  "that  I 
should  stay  in  the  palace  more,  I  will  obey  you.  If  you 
desire  me  to  be  seen  oftener  in  the  capital,  I  will  en- 
deavour to  fulfil  your  command,  though  the  streets  stifle 
me.  But,  for  God's  sake,  do  not  make  me  a  puppet  on 
show  before  my  time,  —  or  marry  me  to  a  woman  I  hate, 
merely  for  the  sake  of  heirs  to  a  wretched  Throne !  " 

The  King  rose  from  his  chair,  and,  walking  towards 
the  garden,  threw  the  rest  of  his  cigar  out  among  the  foli- 
age, where  the  burning  morsel  shone  like  a  stray  glow- 
worm in  the  green.  Then  he  turned  towards  his  son ;  — 
his  face  was  grave,  almost  stern. 

"You  can  go,  Humphry!"  he  said; — "I  have  no  more 
to  say  to  you  at  present.  You  talk  wildly  and  at  random, 
as  if  you  were,  by  some  means  or  other,  voluntarily  bent 
upon  unfitting  yourself  for  the  position  you  are  destined 
to  occupy.  You  will  do  well,  I  think,  to  remain  more  in 
evidence  at  Court.     You  will  also  do  well  to  be  seen  at 


"If  I  Loved  You!"  59 

some  of  the  different  great  social  functions  of  the  day. 
But  I  shall  not  coerce  you.  Only  —  consider  well  what  I 
have  said  !  —  and  if  you  have  a  secret  "  —  he  paused,  and 
then  repeated  with  emphasis  —  "I  say,  if  you  have  a 
secret  of  any  kind,  be  advised,  and  confide  in  me  before 
it  is  too  late !  Otherwise  you  may  find  yourself  betrayed 
unawares  !     Good-night !  " 

He  walked  away  without  throwing  so  much  as  a  back- 
ward glance  at  the  Prince,  who  stood  amazed  at  the  sud- 
denness and  decision  with  which  he  had  brought  the  con- 
versation to  a  close ;  and  it  was  not  till  his  tall  figure  had 
disappeared  that  the  young  man  began  to  realize  the 
doubtful  awkwardness  of  the  attitude  he  had  assumed 
towards  one  who,  both  as  parent  and  king,  had  the  most 
urgent  claim  in  the  world  upon  his  respect  and  obedience. 
Impatient  and  angry  with  himself,  he  crossed  the  loggia 
and  went  out  into  the  garden  beyond.  A  young  moon, 
slender  as  a  bent  willow  wand,  gleamed  in  the  clear 
heavens  among  hosts  of  stars  more  brilliantly  visible  than 
itself,  and  the  soft  air,  laden  with  the  perfume  of  thou- 
sands of  flowers,  cooled  his  brain  and  calmed  his  nerves. 
The  musical  low  murmur  of  the  sea,  lapping  against  the 
shore  below  the  palace  walls,  suggested  a  whole  train 
of  pleasing  and  poetical  fancies,  and  he  strolled  along  the 
dewy  grass  paths,  under  tangles  of  scented  shrubs  and 
arching  boughs  of  pine,  giving  himself  up  to  such  idyllic 
dreams  of  life  and  life's  fairest  possibilities,  as  only  youth- 
ful and  imaginative  souls  can  indulge  in.  He  was  troubled 
and  vexed  by  his  father's  warning,  but  not  sufficiently  to 
pay  serious  heed  to  it.  His  '  secret '  was  safe  so  far ;  — 
and  all  he  had  to  do,  so  he  considered,  was  to  exercise  a 
little  extra  precaution. 

'  There  is  only  Von  Glauben,"  —  he  thought,  "  and  he 
would  never  betray  me.  Besides  it  is  a  mere  question  of 
another  year  —  and  then  I  can  make  all  the  truth  known." 

The  lovely  long-drawn  warble  of  a  nightingale  broke 
the  stillness  around  him  with  a  divine  persistence  of  pas- 
sion. He  listened,  standing  motionless,  his  eyes  lifted 
towards  the  dark  boughs  above  him,  from  whence  the 
golden  notes  dropped  liquidly ;  and  his  heart  beat  quickly 
as  he  thought  of  a  voice  sweeter  than  that  of  any  heav- 
enly-gifted bird,  a  face  fairer  than  that  of  the  fabled  god- 


60  "Temporal  Power' 

dess  who  on  such  a  night  as  this  descended  from  her  silver 
moon-car  to  enchant  Endymion ;  —  and  he  murmured 
half  aloud  — 

"Who  would  not  risk  a  kingdom  —  ay!  a  thousand 
kingdoms !  —  for  such  happiness  as  I  possess  !  It  is  a 
foolish,  blind  world  nowadays,  that  forgets  the  glory  of 
its  youth,  —  the  glow,  the  breath,  the  tenderness  of  love ! 
—  all  for  amassing  gold  and  power  !  I  will  not  be  of  such 
a  world,  nor  with  it ;  —  I  will  not  be  like  my  father,  the 
slave  of  pomp  and  circumstance ;  —  I  will  live  an  unfet- 
tered life  —  yes!  —  even  if  I  have  to  resign  the  throne 
for  the  sake  of  freedom,  still  I  will  be  free !  " 

He  strolled  on,  absorbed  in  romantic  reverie,  and  the 
nightingale's  song  followed  him  through  the  winding 
woods  down  to  the  shore,  where  the  waves  made  other 
music  of  their  own,  which  harmonised  with  the  dreamy 
fancies  of  his  mind. 

Meanwhile,  the  King  had  sought  his  consort  in  her  own 
apartments.  Walking  down  the  great  corridor  which  led 
to  these,  the  most  beautiful  rooms  in  the  palace,  he  be- 
came aware  of  the  silvery  sound  of  stringed  instruments 
mingling  with  harmonious  voices,  —  though  he  scarcely 
heeded  the  soft  rush  of  melody  which  came  thus  wafted 
to  his  ears.  He  was  full  of  thoughts  and  schemes,  —  his 
son's  refusal  to  confide  in  him  had  not  seriously  troubled 
him,  because  he  knew  he  should,  with  patience,  find  out  in 
good  time  all  that  the  young  Prince  had  declined  to  ex- 
plain, —  and  his  immediate  interest  was  centred  in  his 
own  immediate  plans. 

On  reaching  the  ante-room  leading  to  the  Queen's  pres- 
ence-chamber, he  was  informed  that  her  Majesty  was  lis- 
tening to  a  concert  in  the  rosery.  Thither  he  went  unat- 
tended, —  and  passing  through  a  long  suite  of  splendid 
rooms,  each  one  more  sumptuously  adorned  than  the  last, 
he  presently  stepped  out  on  the  velvet  greensward  of  one 
of  the  most  perfect  rose  gardens  in  the  world  —  a  garden 
walled  entirely  round  with  tall  hedges  of  the  clambering 
flowers  which  gave  it  its  name,  and  which  were  trailed  up 
on  all  sides,  so  as  to  form  a  ceiling  or  hanging  canopy 
above.  In  the  centre  of  this  floral  hall,  now  in  full  blos- 
som, a  fountain  tossed  up  one  tall  column  of  silver  spray ; 
and  at  its  upper  end,  against  a  background  of  the  dainty 


<■< 


If  I  Loved  You!"  6 1 


white  roses  called  "Felicite  perpetuelle " sat  the  Queen,  in  a 
high  chair  of  carved  ivory,  surrounded  by  her  ladies.  De- 
licious music,  performed  by  players  and  singers  who  were 
hidden  behind  the  trees,  floated  in  voluptuous  strains 
upon  the  air,  and  the  King-,  looking-  at  the  exquisite  group- 
ing of  fair  women  and  flowers,  lit  by  the  coloured  lamps 
which  gleamed  here  and  there  among  the  thick  foliage, 
wondered  to  himself  how  it  chanced,  that  amid  surround- 
ings which  were  calculated  to  move  the  senses  to  the  most 
refined  and  delicate  rapture,  he  himself  could  feel  no 
quickening  pulse,  no  touch  of  admiration.  These  open- 
air  renderings  of  music  and  song  were  the  Queen's 
favourite  form  of  recreation ;  • —  at  such  times  alone 
would  her  proud  face  soften  and  her  eyes  grow  languid 
with  an  unrevealed  weight  of  dreams.  But  should  her 
husband,  or  any  one  of  his  sex  break  in  upon  the  charmed 
circle,  her  pleasure  was  at  once  clouded,  —  and  the  cold 
hauteur  of  her  beautiful  features  became  again  inflexibly 
frozen.  Such  was  the  case  now,  when  perceiving  the 
King,  she  waved  her  hand  as  a  sign  for  the  music  to 
cease ;  and  with  a  glance  of  something  like  wonderment 
at  his  intrusion,  saluted  him  profoundly  as  he  entered  the 
precincts  of  her  garden  Court.  But  for  once  he  did  not 
pause  as  usual,  on  his  way  to  where  she  sat,  —  but  lightly 
acknowledging  the  deep  curtseys  of  the  ladies  in  attend- 
ance, he  advanced  towards  her  and  raising  her  hand  in 
courtly  homage  to  his  lips,  seated  himself  carelessly  in  a 
low  chair  at  her  feet. 

"  Let  the  music  go  on  !  "  he  said  ;  '  I  am  here  to 
listen." 

The  Queen  looked  at  him,  —  he  met  her  eyes  with  an 
expression  that  she  had  never  seen  on  his  face  before. 

"  Suffer  me  to  have  my  way !  "  he  said  to  her  in  a  low 
tone  —  "  Let  your  singers  finish  their  programme ;  after- 
wards do  me  the  favour  to  dismiss  your  women,  for  I 
must  speak  with  yon  alone." 

She  bent  her  head  in  acquiescence  ;  and  re-seated  her- 
self on  her  ivory  throne.  The  sign  was  given  for  the 
continuance  of  the  music,  and  the  King,  leaning  back  in 
his  chair,  half  closed  his  eves  as  he  listened  dreamily  to 
the  harmonious  throbbing  of  harps  and  violins  around 
him,  in  the  stillness  of  the  languid  southern  night.     His 


62  "Temporal  Power' 

hand  almost  brushed  against  his  wife's  jewelled  robes  — 
the  scent  of  the  great  lilies  on  her  breast  was  wafted  to 
him  with  every  breath  of  air,  and  he  thought  —  "All  this 
would  be  Paradise,  —  with  any  other  woman !  -:  And 
while  he  so  thought,  the  clear  tenor  voice  of  one  of  the 
unseen  singers  rang  out  in  half  gay,  half  tender  tones : 

If  I  loved  you,  and  you  loved  me, 
How  happy  this  little  world  would  be  — 
The  light  of  the  day,  the  dancing  hours, 
The  skies,  the  trees,  the  birds  and  flowers, 
Would  all  be  part  of  our  perfect  gladness  ;  — 
And  never  a  note  of  pain  or  sadness 
Would  jar  life's  beautiful  melody 
If  I  loved  you,  and  you  loved  me  ! 

'  If  I  loved  you ! '     Why,  I  scarcely  know 

How  if  I  did,  the  time  would  go  !  — 

I  should  forget  my  dreary  cares, 

My  sordid  toil,  my  long  despairs, 

I  should  watch  your  smile,  and  kneel  at  your  feet, 

And  live  my  life  in  the  love  of  you,  Sweet!  — 

So  mad,  so  glad,  so  proud  I  should  be, 

If  I  loved  you,  and  you  loved  me  ! 

'  If  you  loved  me  ! '     Ah,  nothing  so  strange 
As  that  could  chance  in  this  world  of  change  !  — 
As  well  expect  a  planet  to  fall, 
Or  a  Queen  to  dwell  in  a  beggar's  hall  — 
But  if  you  did,  —  romance  and  glory 
Might  spring  from  our  lives'  united  story, 
And  angels  might  be  less  happy  than  we  — 
If  I  loved  you  and  you  loved  me  ! 

'  If  I  loved  you  and  you  loved  me  ! ' 

Alas,  't  is  a  joy  we  shall  never  see  ! 

You  are  too  fair  —  I  am  too  cold  ;  — 

We  shall  drift  along  till  we  both  grow  old, 

Till  we  reach  the  grave,  and  gasping,  die, 

Looking  back  on  the  days  that  have  passed  us  by, 

When  '  what  might  have  been,'  can  no  longer  be, — 

When  I  lost  you,  and  you  lost  me ! 

The  song  concluded  abruptly,  and  with  passion  ;  —  and 
the  -King,  turning  on  his  elbow,  glanced  with  a  touch  of 
curiosity  at  the  face  of  his  Queen.  There  was  not  a 
flicker  of  emotion  on  its  fair  cold  calmness, — not  a  quiver 
on  the  beautiful  lips,  or  a  sigh  to  stir  the  quiet  breast  on 
which  the  lilies  rested,  white  and  waxen,  and  heavily 
odorous.     He  withdrew  his  gaze  with  a  half  smile  at  his 


"If  I  Loved  You  !"  63 

own  folly  for  imagining  that  she  could  be  moved  by  a 
mere  song  to  any  expression  of  feeling,  —  even  for  a  mo- 
ment, —  and  allowed  his  glance  to  wander  unreservedly 
over  the  forms  and  features  of  the  other  ladies  in  attend- 
ance who,  conscious  of  his  regard,  dropped  their  eyelids 
and  blushed  softly,  after  the  fashion  approved  by  the 
heroines  of  the  melodramatic  stage.  Whereat  he  began 
to  think  of  the  tiresome  sameness  of  women  generally ; 
and  their  irritating  habit  of  living  always  at  two  ex- 
tremes, —  either  all  ardour,  or  all  coldness. 

''  Both  are  equally  fatiguing  to  a  man's  mind,"  he 
thought  impatiently  — "  The  only  woman  that  is  truly 
fascinating  is  the  one  who  is  never  in  the  same  mind  two 
days  together.  Fair  on  Monday,  plain  on  Tuesday,  sweet 
on  Wednesday,  sour  on  Thursday,  tender  on  Friday,  cold 
on  Saturday,  and  in  all  moods  at  once  on  Sunday,  —  that 
being  a  day  of  rest !  I  should  adore  such  a  woman  as  that 
if  I  ever  met  her,  because  I  should  never  know  her  mind 
towards  me !  " 

A  soft  serenade  rendered  by  violins,  with  a  harp  accom- 
paniment, was  followed  by  a  gay  mazurka,  played  by  all 
the  instruments  together,  —  and  this  finished  the  musical 
programme. 

The  Queen  rose,  accepting  the  hand  which  the  King 
extended  to  her,  and  moved  with  him  slowly  across  the 
rose-garden,  her  long  snowy  train  glistering  with  jewels, 
and  held  up  from  the  greensward  by  a  pretty  page,  who, 
in  his  picturesque  costume  of  rose  and  gold,  demurely 
followed  his  Royal  lady's  footsteps,  —  and  so  amid  the 
curtseying  ladies-in-waiting  and  other  attendants,  they 
passed  together  into  a  private  boudoir,  at  the  threshold  of 
which  the  Queen's  train-bearer  dropped  his  rich  burden 
of  perfumed  velvet  and  gems,  and  bowing  low,  left  their 
Majesties  together. 

Shutting  the  door  upon  him  with  his  own  hand,  the 
King  drew  a  heavy  portiere  across  it,  —  and  then  walking 
round  the  room  saw  that  every  window  was  closed,  — 
every  nook  secure.  The  Queen's  boudoir  was  one  of  the 
most  sacred  corners  in  the  whole  palace,  —  no  one,  not 
even  the  most  intimate  lady  of  the  Court  in  personal  at- 
tendance on  her  Majesty,  dared  enter  it  without  special 
permission ;    and  this  being  the  case,  the  Queen  herself 


6+ 


<.<■ 


Temporal  Power 


was  faintly  moved  to  surprise  at  the  extra  precaution  her 
husband  appeared  to  be  taking  to  ensure  privacy.  She 
stood  silently  watching  his  movements  till  he  came  up  to 
her,  and  bowing  courteously,  said :  — 

'  I  pray  you,  be  seated,  Madam !  I  will  not  detain  you 
long." 

She  obeyed  his  gesture,  and  sank  down  in  a  chair  with 
that  inimitable  noiseless  grace  which  made  every  attitude 
of  hers  a  study  for  an  artist,  and  waited  for  his  next 
words ;  while  he,  standing  opposite  to  her,  bent  his  eyes 
upon  her  face  with  a  certain  wistfulness  and  appeal. 

"  I  have  never  asked  you  a  favour,"  he  began  —  "  and 
—  since  the  day  we  married,  —  I  have  never  sought  your 
sympathy.  The  years  have  come  and  gone,  leaving  no 
visible  trace  on  either  you  or  me,  so  far  as  outward  looks 
go,  —  and  if  they  have  scarred  and  wrinkled  us  inwardly, 
only  God  can  see  those  scars !  But  as  time  moves  on  with 
a  man,  —  I  know  not  how  it  is  with  a  woman,  —  if  he  be 
not  altogether  a  fool,  he  begins  to  consider  the  way  in 
which  he  has  spent,  or  is  spending  his  life, — whether  he 
has  been,  or  is  yet  likely  to  be  of  any  use  to  the  world  he 
lives  in,  —  or  if  he  is  of  less  account  than  the  blown  froth 
of  the  sea,  or  the  sand  on  the  shore.  Myriads  and  myr- 
iads of  men  and  women  are  no  more  than  this  —  no  more 
than  midges  or  ants  or  worms  ;  —  but  every  now  and  then 
in  the  course  of  centuries,  one  man  does  stand  forth  from 
the  million,  —  one  heart  does  beat  courageously  enough 
to  send  the  firm  echo  of  its  pulsations  through  a  long 
vista  of  time,  - —  one  soul  does  so  exalt  and  inspire  the 
rest  of  the  world  by  its  great  example  that  we  are, 
through  its  force  reminded  of  something  divine,  —  some- 
thing high  and  true  in  a  low  wilderness  of  shams ! '' 

He  paused ;  the  Queen  raised  her  beautiful  eyes,  and 
smiled  strangely. 

'  Have  you  only  just  now  thought  of  this?  "  she  said. 

He  flushed,  and  bit  his  lip. 

'  To  be  perfectly  honest  with  you,  Madam,  I  have 
thought  of  nothing  worth  thinking  about  for  many  years ! 
Most  men  in  my  position  would  probably  make  the  same 
confession.  Perhaps  had  you  given  me  any  great  work  to 
do  for  your  sake  I  should  have  done  it !  Had  you  in- 
spired me  to  achieve  some  great  conquest,  either  for  my- 


"If  I  Loved  You!"  65 

self  or  others,  I  should  no  doubt  have  conquered !  But  I 
have  lived  for  twenty-one  years  in  your  admirable  com- 
pany without  being  commanded  by  you  to  do  anything 
worthy  of  a  king;  —  I  am  now  about  to  command  My- 
self !  —  in  order  to  leave  some  notable  trace  of  my  name 
in  history." 

While  he  thus  spoke,  a  faint  flush  coloured  the  Queen's 
cheeks,  but  it  quickly  died  away,  leaving  her  very  pale. 
Her  fingers  strayed  among  the  great  jewels  she  wore,  and 
toyed  unconsciously  with  a  ruby  talisman  cut  in  the  shape 
of  a  heart,  and  encircled  with  diamonds.  The  King  noted 
the  flash  of  the  gems  against  the  whiteness  of  her  hand, 
and  said  : 

"  Your  heart,  Madam,  is  like  the  jewel  you  hold !  — 
clear  crimson,  and  full  of  fire,  —  but  it  is  not  the  fire  of 
Heaven,  though  you  may  perchance  judge  it  to  be  so. 

Rather  is  it  of  hell ! ( I  pray  you  to  pardon  me  for 

the  roughness  of  this  suggestion ! )  —  for  one  of  the  chief 
crimes  of  the  devil  is  unconquerable  hatred  of  the  human 
race.  You  share  Satan's  aversion  to  man  !  —  and  strange 
indeed  it  is  that  even  the  most  sympathetic  companionship 
with  your  own  sex  cannot  soften  that  aversion !  How- 
ever, we  will  not  go  into  this ;  —  the  years  have  proved 
you  true  to  your  own  temperament,  and  there  is  nothing 
to  be  said  on  the  matter,  either  of  blame  or  of  praise.  As 
I  said,  I  have  never  asked  a  favour  of  you,  nor  have  I 
sought  the  sympathy  which  it  is  not  in  your  nature  to 
give.  I  have  not  even  claimed  your  obedience  in  any  par- 
ticular strictness  of  form  ;  but  that  is  my  errand  to  you 
to-night,  —  indeed  it  is  the  sqle  object  of  this  private 
interview,  —  to  claim  your  entire,  your  unfaltering,  your 
implicit  obedience !  " 

She  raised  her  head  haughtily. 

'To  what  commands,  Sir?"  she  asked. 

"  To  those  I  have  here  written,  —  "  and  he  handed  her 
a  paper  folded  in  two,  which  she  took  wonderingly,  as  he 
extended  it.  "  Read  this  carefully !  —  and  if  you  have 
any  objections  to  urge,  I  am  willing  to  listen  to  you  with 
patience,  though  scarcely  to  alter  the  conditions  laid 
down." 

He  turned  away,  and  walked  slowly  through  the  room, 
pausing  a  moment  to  whistle  to  a  tiny  bird  swinging  in  a 

S 


66  "Temporal  Power' 

gilded  Cage,  that  perked  up  its  pretty  head  at  his  call  and 
twittered  with  pleasure. 

"So  you  respond  to  kindness,  little  one ! "  he  said  softly, 
— "You  are  more  Christ-like  in  that  one  grace  than  many 
a  Christian !  " 

He  started,  as  a  light  touch  fell  on  his  shoulder,  and  he 
saw  the  Queen  standing  beside  him.  She  held  the  paper 
he  had  given  her  in  one  hand,  and  as  he  looked  at  her 
enquiringly  she  touched  it  with  her  lips,  and  placed  it  in 
her  bosom. 

"  I  swear  my  obedience  to  your  instructions,  Sir !  "  she 
said,  —  "  Do  not  fear  to  trust  me  !  " 

Gently  he  took  her  hands  and  kissed  them. 
■r    "  I  thank  you !  "  he  said  simply. 

For  a  moment  they  confronted  each  other.  The  beauti- 
ful cold  woman's  eyes  drooped  under  the  somewhat  sad 
and  searching  gaze  of  the  man. 

"  But your  life  !  —  "  she  murmured. 

"  My  life !  "  He  laughed  and  dropped  her  hands. 
"  Would  you  care,  Madam,  if  I  were  dead  ?  Would  you 
shed  any  tears  ?  Not  you !  Why  should  you  ?  At  this 
late  hour  of  time,  when  after  twenty-one  years  passed  in 
each  other's  close  company  we  are  no  nearer  to  each  other 
in  heart  and  soul  than  if  the  sea  murmuring  yonder  at  the 
foot  of  these  walls  were  stretching  its  whole  width  be- 
tween us !  Besides  —  we  are  both  past  our  youth  !  And, 
according  to  certain  highly  instructed  scientists  and  phil- 
osophers, the  senses  and  affections  grow  numb  with  age. 
I  do  not  believe  this  theory  myself  —  for  the  jejune  love 
of  youth  is  as  a  taper's  flame  to  the  great  and  passionate 
tenderness  of  maturity,  when  the  soul,  and  not  the  body, 
claims  its  due  ;  when  love  is  not  dragged  down  to  the 
vulgar  level  of  mere  cohabitation,  after  the  fashion  of  the 
animals  in  a  farmyard,  but  rises  to  the  best  height  of 
human  sympathy  and  intelligent  comprehension.  Who 
knows !  —  I  may  experience  such  a  love  as  that  yet,  — 
and  so  may  you !  " 

She  was  silent. 

"Talking  of  love,"  — he  went  on  — "  May  I  ask 
whether  our  son,  —  or  rather  the  nation's  son,  Humphry, 
—  ever  makes  you  his  confidante  ?  " 

"  Never !  "  she  replied. 


"If  I  Loved  ¥011!"  67 

"  I  thought  not !  We  do  not  seem  to  be  the  kind  of 
parents  admired  in  moral  story-books,  Madam !  We  are 
not  the  revered  darlings  of  our  children.  In  fact,  our 
children  bave  the  happy  disposition  of  animal  cubs,  — 
once  out  of  the  nursing  stage,  they  forget  they  ever  had 
parents.  It  is  quite  the  natural  and  proper  thing,  born  as 
they  were  born,  —  it  would  never  do  for  them  to  have  any 
over-filial  regard  for  us.  Imagine  Humphry  weeping  for 
my  death,  or  yours !  What  a  grotesque  idea !  And  as 
for  Rupert  and  Cyprian,  —  it  is  devoutly  to  be  hoped  that 
when  we  die,  our  funerals  may  be  well  over  before  the 
great  cricket  matches  of  the  year  come  on,  as  otherwise 
they  will  curse  us  for  having  left  the  world  at  an  incon- 
venient season  !  "  He  laughed.  '  How  sentiment  has 
gone  out  nowadays,  or  how  it  seems  to  have  gone  out ! 
Yet  it  slumbers  in  the  heart  of  the  nation,  —  and  if  it 
should  ever  awaken,  —  well !  —  it  will  be  dangerous  !  I 
asked  you  about  Humphry,  because  I  imagine  he  is  en- 
tangled in  some  love-affair.  If  it  should  be  agreeable  to 
your  humour  to  go  with  me  across  to  The  Islands  one  day 
this  week,  we  may  perhaps  by  chance  diseover  the  reason 
of  his  passion  for  that  particular  kind  of  scenery ! ': 

The  Queen's  eyes  opened  wonderingly. 

'The  Islands!"  she  repeated,  —  "The  Islands?  Why, 
only  the  coral-fishers  live  there,  —  they  have  a  community 
of  their  own,  and  are  jealous  of  all  strangers.  What 
should  Humphry  do  there?" 

'  That  is  more  than  I  can  tell  you,"  answered  the  King, 
—  "  And  it  is  more  than  he  will  himself  explain.  Never- 
theless, he  is  there  nearly  every  day,  —  some  attraction 
draws  him,  but  what,  I  cannot  discover.  If  Humphry 
were  of  the  soul  of  me,  as  he  is  of  the  body  of  me,  I  should 
not  even  try  to  fathom  his  secret,  —  but  he  is  the  nation's 
child  —  heir  to  its  throne  —  and  as  such,  it  is  necessary 
that  we,  for  the  nation's  sake,  should  guard  him  in  the 
nation's  interests.  If  you  chance  to  learn  anything  of 
the  object  of  his  constant  sea-wanderings,  I  trust  you 
will  find  it  coincident  with  your  pleasure  to  inform  me  ? '' 

"  I  shall  most  certainly  obey  you  in  this,  Sir,  as  in  all 
other  things !  "  she  replied. 

He  moved  a  step  or  two  towards  her. 

"  Good-night !  ''    he   said    very   gently,    and    detaching 


68  "Temporal  Power' 

one  of  the  lilies  from  her  corsage,  took  it  in  his  own 
hand.  "  Good-night !  This  flower  will  remind  me  of 
you;  —  white  and  beautiful,  with  all  the  central  gold 
deep  hidden !  " 

He  looked  at  her  intently,  with  a  lingering  look,  half  of 
tenderness,  half  of  regret,  and  bowing  in  the  courtliest 
fashion  of  homage,  left  her  presence. 

She  remained  alone,  the  velvet  folds  of  her  train  flow- 
ing about  her  feet,  and  the  jewels  on  her  breast  flashing 
like  faint  sparks  of  flame  in  the  subdued  glow  of  the 
shaded  lamplight.  She  was  touched  for  the  first  time  in 
her  life  by  the  consciousness  of  something  infinitely  noble, 
and  altogether  above  her  in  her  husband's  nature.  Slowly 
she  drew  out  the  paper  he  had  given  her  from  her  bosom 
and  read  it  through  again  —  and  yet  once  again.  Almost 
unconsciously  to  herself  a  mist  gathered  in  her  eyes  and 
softened  into  two  bright  tears,  which  dropped  down  her 
fair  cheeks,  and  lost  themselves  among  her  diamonds. 

'  He  is  brave !  ''  she  murmured  —  '  Braver  than  I 
thought  he  could  ever  be " 

She  roused  herself  sharply  from  her  abstraction.  Emo- 
tions which  were  beyond  her  own  control  had  strangely 
affected  her,  and  the  humiliating  idea  that  her  moods  had 
for  a  moment  escaped  beyond  her  guidance  made  her 
angry  with  herself  for  what  she  considered  mere  weak- 
ness. And  passing  quickly  out  of  the  boudoir,  in  the 
vague  fear  that  solitude  might  deepen  the  sense  of  impo- 
tence and  failure  which  insinuated  itself  slowly  upon  her, 
like  a  dull  blight  creeping  through  her  heart  and  soul,  she 
rejoined  her  ladies,  the  same  great  Queen  as  ever,  with 
the  same  look  of  indifference  on  her  face,  the  same  chill 
smile,  the  same  perfection  of  loveliness,  unwithered  by 
any  visible  trace  of  sorrow  or  of  passion. 


CHAPTER    VI 

SERGIUS    THORD 

THE  next  day  the  heavens  were  clouded  ;  and  occa- 
sional volleys  of  heavy  thunder  were  mingled  with 
the  gusts  of  wind  and  rain  which  swept  over  the  city,  and 
which  lashed  the  fair  southern  sea  into  a  dark  semblance 
of  such  angry  waves  as  wear  away  northern  coasts  into 
bleak  and  rocky  barrenness.  It  was  disappointing 
weather  to  multitudes,  for  it  was  the  feast-day  of  one  of 
the  numerous  saints  whose  names  fill  the  calendar  of  the 
Roman  Church,  —  and  a  great  religious  procession  had 
been  organized  to  march  from  the  market-place  to  the 
Cathedral,  in  which  two  or  three  hundred  children  and 
girls  had  been  chosen  to  take  part.  The  fickle  bursts  of 
sunshine  which  every  now  and  again  broke  through  the 
lowering  sky,  decided  the  priests  to  carry  out  their  pro- 
gramme, in  spite  of  the  threatening  storm,  in  the  hope 
that  it  would  clear  off  completely  with  the  afternoon. 
Accordingly,  groups  of  little  maidens,  in  white  robes  and 
veils,  began  to  assemble  with  their  flags  and  banners  at 
the  appointed  hour  round  the  old  market  cross,  which,  — 
grey  and  crumbling  at  the  summit, — bent  over  the  streets 
like  a  withered  finger,  crook'd  as  it  were,  in  feeble  remon- 
strance at  the  passing  of  time,  —  while  glimpses  of  young 
faces  beneath  the  snowy  veils,  and  chatter  of  young 
voices,  made  brightness  and  music  around  its  frowning 
and  iron-bound  base.  Shortly  before  three  o'clock  the 
Cathedral  bells  began  to  chime,  and  crowds  of  people 
made  their  way  towards  the  sacred  edifice  in  the  laughing, 
pushing,  gesticulating  fashion  of  southerners,  to  whom  a 
special  service  at  the  Church  is  like  a  new  comedy  at  the 
theatre,  —  women  with  coloured  kerchiefs  knotted  over 
their  hair  or  across  their  bosoms  —  men,  more  or  less 
roughly  clad,  yet  all  paying  compliment  to  the  Saint's 
feast-day  by  some  extra  smart  touch  in  their  attire,  if  it 


jo  "Temporal  Power" 

were  only  a  pomegranate  flower  or  orange-blossom  stuck 
in  their  hats,  or  behind  their  ears.  It  was  a  mixed  crowd, 
all  of  the  working  classes,  who  are  proverbially  called 
'  the  common,'  as  if  those  who  work,  are  not  a  hundred 
times  more  noble  than  those  who  do  nothing!  A  few 
carriages,  containing  some  wealthy  ladies  of  the  nobility, 
who,  to  atone  for  their  social  sins,  were  in  the  habit  of 
contributing  largely  to  the  Church,  passed  every  now  and 
again  through  the  crowd,  but  taken  as  a  spectacle  it  was 
simply  a  '  popular  '  show,  in  which  the  children  of  the 
people  took  part,  and  where  the  people  themselves  were 
evidently  more  amused  than  edified. 

While  the  bells  were  ringing  the  procession  gradually 
formed  ;  —  a  dozen  or  more  priests  leading,  —  incense- 
bearers  and  acolytes  walking  next,  —  and  then  the  long 
train  of  little  children  and  girls  carrying  their  symbolic 
banners,  following  after.  The  way  they  had  to  walk  was 
a  steep,  winding  ascent,  through  tortuous  streets,  to  the 
Cathedral,  which  stood  in  the  centre  of  a  great  square  on 
an  eminence  which  overlooked  the  whole  city,  and  as  soon 
as  they  started  they  began  to  sing,  —  softly  at  first,  then 
more  clearly  and  sweetly,  till  gradually  the  air  grew  full 
of  melody,  rising  and  falling  on  the  capricious  gusts  of 
wind  which  tore  at  the  gilded  and  emblazoned  banners, 
and  tossed  the  white  veils  of  the  maidens  about  like 
wreaths  of  drifting  snow.  Two  men  standing  on  the 
Cathedral  hill,  watched  the  procession  gradually  ascend- 
ing —  one  tall  and  heavily-built,  with  a  dark  leonine  head 
made  more  massive-looking  by  its  profusion  of  thick  and 
unmanageable  hair  —  the  other  lean  and  narrow-shoul- 
dered, with  a  peaked  reddish-auburn  beard,  which  he  con- 
tinually pulled  and  twitched  at  nervously  as  though  its 
growth  on  his  chin  was  more  a  matter  of  vexation  than 
convenience.  He  was  apparently  not  so  much  interested 
in  the  Church  festival  as  he  was  in  his  companion's  face, 
for  he  was  perpetually  glancing  up  at  that  brooding  coun- 
tenance, which,  half  hidden  as  it  was  in  wild  hair  and 
further  concealed  by  thick  moustache  and  beard,  showed 
no  expression  at  all,  unless  an  occasional  glimpse  of  full 
flashing  eyes  under  the  bushy  brows,  gave  a  sudden  mag- 
netic hint  of  something  dangerous  and  not  to  be  trifled 
with. 


Sergius  Thord  7 


"  You  do  not  believe  anything  you  hear  or  read,  Ser- 
gius Thord!'  he  said  —  "Will  you  twist  your  whole 
life  into  a  erooked  attitude  of  suspicion  against  all  man- 
kind?1' 

He  who  was  named  Sergius  Thord,  lifted  himself 
slowly  from  the  shoulders  upwards,  the  action  making  his 
great  height  and  broad  chest  even  more  apparent  than 
before.  A  gleam  of  white  teeth  shone  under  his  black 
moustache. 

"  I  do  not  twist  my  life  into  a  crooked  attitude,  Johan 
Zegota,"  he  replied.  '  If  it  is  crooked,  others  have 
twisted  it  for  me !  Why  should  I  believe  what  I  hear, 
since  it  is  the  fashion  to  lie  ?  Why  should  I  accept  what  I 
read,  since  it  is  the  business  of  the  press  to  deceive  the 
public  ?  And  why  do  you  ask  me  foolish  questions  ? 
You  should  be  better  instructed,  seeing  that  your  creed 
is  the  same  as  mine !  " 

"  Have  I  ever  denied  it?  "  exclaimed  Zegota  warmly  — 
"  But  I  have  said,  and  I  say  again  that  I  believe  the  news 
is  true,  —  and  that  these  howling  hypocrites,  —  "  this 
with  an  angry  gesture  of  his  hand  towards  the  open 
square  where  the  chanting  priests  who  headed  the  pro- 
cession were  coming  into  view  —  "  have  truly  received  an 
unlooked-for  check  from  the  King !  " 

Sergius  Thord  laid  one  hand  heavily  on  his  shoulder. 

4  When  the  King  —  when  any  king  —  does  anything 
useful  in  the  world,  then  you  may  hang  me  with  your 
own  hands,  Zegota !  When  did  you  ever  hear,  except  in 
myths  of  the  past,  of  a  monarch  who  cared  for  his  people 
more  than  his  crown  ?  Tell  me  that !  Tell  me  of  any 
king  who  so  truly  loved  the  people  he  was  called  upon  to 
govern,  that  he  sacrificed  his  own  money,  as  well  as  his 
own  time,  to  remedy  their  wrongs  ?  —  to  save  them  from 
unjust  government,  to  defend  them  from  cruel  taxation? 
—  to  see  that  their  bread  was  not  taken  from  their  mouths 
by  foreign  competition  ?  —  and  to  make  it  possible  for 
them  to  live  in  the  country  of  their  birth  in  peace  and 
prosperity  ?  Bah  !  There  never  was  such  a  king !  And 
that  this  man,  —  who  has  for  three  years  left  us  to  the 
mercy  of  the  most  accursed  cheat  and  scoundrel  minister 
that  ever  was  in  power,  —  has  now  declared  his  opposi- 
tion to  the  Jesuits',  is  more  than  I  will  or  can  believe." 


72  "Temporal  Power' 

"If  it  were  true?"  —  suggested  Zegota,  with  a  more 
than  usually  vicious  tug  at  his  beard. 

"  If  it  were  true,  it  would  not  alter  my  opinion,  or  set 
aside  my  intention,"  replied  Thord,  —  "I  would  admit 
that  the  King  had  done  one  good  deed  before  going  to 
hell !  Look !  Here  come  the  future  traitresses  of  men 
—  girls  trained  by  priests  to  deceive  their  nearest  and 
dearest !  Poor  children !  They  know  nothing  as  yet  of 
the  uses  to  which  their  lives  are  destined!  If  they  could 
but  die  now,  in  their  innocent  faith  and  stupidity,  how 
much  better  for  all  the  world !  " 

As  he  spoke,  the  wind,  swooping  into  the  square,  and 
accompanied  by  a  pattering  gust  of  rain,  fell  like  a  fury 
upon  the  leaders  of  the  religious  procession  and  tore  one 
of  the  great  banners  out  of  the  hands  of  the  priest  who 
held  it,  beating  it  against  his  head  and  face  with  so  much 
force  that  he  fell  backward  to  the  ground  under  its  weight, 
while  from  a  black  cloud  above,  a  flash  of  lightning 
gleamed,  followed  almost  instantaneously  by  a  loud  clap 
of  thunder,  which  shook  the  square  with  a  mighty  rever- 
beration like  that  of  a  bursting  bomb.  The  children 
screamed,  —  and  ran  towards  the  Cathedral  pellmell ; 
and  for  a  few  moments  there  ensued  indescribable  con- 
fusion, the  priests,  the  people,  and  the  white-veiled  girls 
getting  mixed  together  in  a  wild  hurly-burly.  Sergius 
Thord  suddenly  left  his  companion's  side,  and  springing 
on  a  small  handcart  that  stood  empty  near  the  centre  of 
the  square,  his  tall  figure  rose  up  all  at  once  like  a  dark- 
apparition  above  the  heads  of  the  assembled  crowd,  and 
his  voice,  strong,  clear,  and  vibrating  with  passion,  rang 
out  like  a  deep  alarm  bell,  through  all  the  noise  of  the 
storm. 

"Whither  are  you  going,  O  foolish  people?  To  pray 
to  God?  Pray  to  Him  here,  then,  under  the  flash  of  His 
lightning !  —  in  the  roll  of  His  thunder  !  —  beneath  His 
catbedral-canopy  of  clouds!  Pray  to  Him  with  all  your 
hearts,  your  brains,  your  reason,  your  intelligence,  and 
leave  mere  lip-service  and  mockery  to  priests ;  and  to 
these  poor  children,  who,  as  yet,  know  no  better  than  to 
obey  tyrants!  Would  you  find  out  God?  He  is  here  — 
with  me,  —  with  you  !  -  -  in  the  earth,  in  the  sky,  in  the 
sun  and  storm !     Whenever  Truth  declares  a  living  fact, 


Sergius  Thord  73 

God  speaks,  —  whenever  we  respond  to  that  Truth,  God 
hears !  No  church,  no  cathedral  contains  His  presence 
more  than  we  shall  find  it  here  —  with  us  —  where  we 
stand !  " 

The  people  heard,  and  a  great  silence  fell  upon  them. 
All  faces  were  turned  toward  the  speaker,  and  none  ap- 
peared to  heed  the  great  drops  of  fast-falling  rain.  One 
of  the  priests  who  was  trying  to  marshal  the  scattered 
children  into  their  former  order,  so  that  they  might  enter 
the  Cathedral  in  the  manner  arranged  for  the  religious 
service,  looked  up  to  see  the  cause  of  the  sudden  stillness, 
and  muttered  a  curse  under  his  breath.  But  even  while 
the  oath  escaped  his  lips,  he  gave  the  signal  for  the  sacred 
chanting  to  be  resumed,  and  in  another  moment  the  '  Lit- 
any of  the  Virgin  '  was  started  in  stentorian  tones  by  the 
leaders  of  the  procession.  Intimidated  by  the  looks,  as 
well  as  by  the  commands  of  the  priests,  the  girls  and 
children  joined  in  the  chanting  with  tremulous  voices,  as 
they  began  to  file  through  the  Cathedral  doors  and  enter 
the  great  nave.  But  a  magnetic  spell,  stronger  than  any 
invocation  of  the  Church,  had  fallen  upon  the  crowd,  and 
they  all  stood  as  though  caught  in  the  invisible  web  of 
some  enchanter,  their  faces  turned  upwards  to  where 
Thord's  tall  figure  towered  above  them.  His  eyes  glit- 
tered as  he  noted  the  sudden  hush  of  attention  which  pre- 
vailed, and  lifting  his  rough  cap  from  his  head,  he  waved 
it  towards  the  open  door  of  the  Cathedral,  through  which 
the  grand  strains  of  the  organ  rolling  out  from  within 
gave  forth  solemn  invitation :  — 

"  Sancta  Dei  Genitrix, 
Ora  pro  nobis  !  " 

sang  the  children,  as  they  passed  in  line  under  the  ancient 
porch,  carved  with  the  figures  of  forgotten  saints  and 
bishops,  whose  stone  countenances  had  stared  at  similar 
scenes  through  the  course  of  long  centuries. 

"  Sancta  Dei  Genitrix,  ora  pro  nobis !  "  echoed  Sergius 
Thord  —  "  Do  you  hear  it,  O  men  ?  Do  you  hear  it,  O 
women  ?  What  does  it  teach  you  ?  '  Holy  Mother  of 
God ! '  Who  was  she  ?  Was  she  not  merely  a  woman  to 
whom  God  descended  ?  And  what  is  the  lesson  she  gives 
you  ?     Plainly  this  —  that  men  should  be  as  gods,  and 


74  "Temporal  Power' 

women  as  the  mothers  of  gods  !  For  every  true  and  brave 
man  born  into  the  world  has  God  within  him,  —  is  made 
of  God,  and  must  return  to  God !  And  every  woman  who 
gives  birth  to  one  such,  true,  brave  man,  has  given  a  God- 
incarnated  being  to  the  world !  '  Sancta  Dei  Genitrix ! ' 
Be  all  as  mothers  of  gods,  O  women  !  Be  as  gods,  O  men ! 
Be  as  gods  in  courage,  in  truth,  in  wisdom,  in  freedom ! 
Suffer  not  devils  to  have  command  of  you !  For  devils 
there  are,  as  there  are  gods ;  —  evil  there  is,  as  there  is 
good.  Fiends  are  born  of  women  as  gods  are  —  and  yet 
evil  itself  is  of  God,  inasmuch  as  without  God  there  can 
be  neither  evil  nor  good.  Let  us  help  God,  we  His  chil- 
dren, to  conquer  evil  by  conquering  it  in  ourselves  —  and 
by  refusing  to  give  it  power  over  us !  So  shall  God  show 
us  all  goodness,  —  all  pity !  So  shall  He  cease  to  afflict 
His  children ;  so  will  He  cease  to  torture  us  with  unde- 
served sorrows  and  devilish  agonies,  for  which  we  are 
not  to  blame !  " 

He  paused.  The  singing  had  ceased ;  the  children's 
procession  had  entered  the  Cathedral,  and  the  doors  still 
stood  wide  open.  But  the  people  remained  outside, 
crowded  in  the  square,  and  gathering  momentarily  in 
greater  numbers. 

"  Look  you !  "  cried  Sergius  Thord  —  "  The  building 
which  is  called  the  Sanctuary  of  God,  stands  open  —  why 
do  you  not  all  enter  there  ?  Within  are  precious  marbles, 
priceless  pictures,  jewels  and  relics  —  and  a  great  altar 
raised  up  by  the  gifts  of  wicked  dead  kings,  who  by 
money  sought  to  atone  for  their  sins  to  the  people.  There 
are  priests  who  fast  and  pray  in  public,  and  gratify  all 
the  lusts  of  appetite  in  private.  There  are  poor  and  igno- 
rant women  who  believe  whatsoever  these  priests  tell 
them — all  this  you  can  see  if  you  go  inside  yonder.  Why 
do  you  not  go  ?    Why  do  you  remain  with  me  ?  " 

A  faint  murmur,  like  the  rising  ripple  of  an  angry  sea, 
rose  from  the  crowd,  but  quickly  died  away  again  into 
silence. 

"  Shall  I  tell  you  why  you  stay  ?  "  went  on  Thord,  — 

'  Because  you  know  I  am  your  friend  —  and  because  you 

also  know  that  the  priests  are  yonr  enemies !     Because 

you  know  that  I  tell  yon  the  truth,  and  that  the  priests 

tell  you  lies !    Because  you  feel  that  all  the  promises  made 


Sergius  Thord  75 


to  you  of  happiness  in  Heaven  cannot  explain  away  to 
your  satisfaction  the  causes  of  your  bitter  suffering  and 
poverty  on  earth !  Because  you  are  gradually  learning 
that  the  chief  business  of  priestcraft  is  to  deceive  the 
people  and  keep  them  down,  —  down,  always  down  in  a 
state  of  wretched  ignorance.  Learn,  learn  all  you  can, 
my  brothers  —  take  the  only  good  thing  modern  govern- 
ment gives  you  —  Education !  Education  is  thrown  at  us 
like  a  bone  thrown  to  a  dog,  half  picked  by  others  and 
barely  nourishing  —  but  take  it,  take  it,  friends,  for  in  it 
you  shall  find  the  marrow  of  vengeance  on  your  tyrants 
and  oppressors !  The  education  of  the  masses  means  the 
downfall  of  false  creeds,  —  the  ruin  of  all  false  priests ! 
For  it  is  only  through  the  ignorance  of  the  many  that 
tyrannical  dominion  is  given  into  the  hands  of  the  few ! 
Slavish  submission  to  a  corrupt  government  would  be 
impossible  if  we  all  refused  to  be  slaves.  O  friends,  O 
brothers,  throw  off  your  chains !  Break  down  your 
prison  doors !  Some  good  you  have  done  already  —  be 
brave  and  strong  to  do  more !  Press  forward  fearlessly 
and  strive  for  liberty  and  justice!  To-day  we  are  told 
that  the  King  has  refused  crown-lands  to  the  Jesuits. 
Shall  we  be  told  to-morrow  that  the  King  has  dismissed 
Carl  Perousse  from  office?  " 

A  long  wild  shout  told  how  this  suggestion  had  gone 
straight  home  to  the  throng. 

"Shall  we  be  told  this,  I  ask?  No!  Ten  thousand 
times  no!  The  refusal  of  the  King  to  grant  the  priests 
any  wider  dominion  over  us  is  merely  an  act  of  policy 
inspired  by  terror.  The  King  is  afraid !  He  fears  the 
people  will  revolt  against  the  Church,  and  so  takes  part 
with  them  lest  there  should  be  trouble  in  the  land,  but  he 
never  seems  to  think  there  may  be  another  kind  of  revolt 
against  himself !  His  refusal  to  concede  more  place  for 
the  accursed  practice  of  Jesuitry  is  so  far  good ;  but  his 
dismissal  of  Perousse  would  be  still  better ! '; 

A  perfect  hurricane  of  applause  from  the  people  gave 
emphatic  testimony  to  the  truth  of  these  words. 

'What  is  this  man,  Carl  Perousse?"  he  went  on - 
'  A  man  of  the  people  --  whose  oaths  were  sworn  to  the 
people,  —  whom    the    people    themselves    brought    into 
power  because  he  promised  to  remain  faithful  to  them! 


j 6  "Temporal  Power" 

He  is  false,  —  a  traitor  and  political  coward !  A  mere 
manufacturer  of  kitchen  goods,  who  through  our  folly 
was  returned  to  this  country's  senate ;  —  and  through 
our  still  further  credulity  is  now  set  in  almost  complete 
dominion  over  us.  Well !  We  have  suffered  and  are 
suffering  for  our  misplaced  belief  in  him  ;  —  the  question 
is,  how  long  shall  we  continue  to  suffer?  How  long  are 
we  to  be  governed  by  the  schemes  of  Carl  Perousse,  the 
country's  turncoat,  —  the  trafficker  in  secret  with  Jew 
speculators  ?  It  is  for  you  to  decide !  It  is  for  you  to 
work  out  your  own  salvation !  It  is  for  you  to  throw  off 
tyranny,  and  show  yourselves  free  men  of  reason  and 
capacity !  Just  as  the  priests  chant  long  prayers  to  cover 
their  own  iniquity,  so  do  the  men  of  government  make 
long  speeches  to  disguise  their  own  corruption.  You 
know  you  cannot  believe  their  promises.  Neither  can  you 
believe  the  press,  for  if  this  is  not  actually  bought  by 
Perousse,  it  is  bribed.  And  you  cannot  trust  the  King ; 
for  he  is  as  a  house  divided  against  itself  which  must  fall ! 
Slave  of  his  own  passions,  and  duped  by  women,  what  is 
he  but  a  burden  to  the  State?  Justice  and  power  should 
be  on  the  side  of  kings,  —  but  the  days  are  come  when 
self-interest  and  money  can  even  buy  a  throne !  O  men, 
O  women,  rouse  up  your  hearts  and  minds  to  work  for 
yourselves,  to  redress  wrongs,  —  to  save  your  country ! 
Rouse  up  in  your  thousands,  and  with  your  toil-worn 
hands  pull  down  the  pillars  of  iniquity  and  vice  that  over- 
shadow and  darken  the  land !  Fierht  against  the  insolent 
pride  of  wealth  which  strives  to  crush  the  poor ;  rouse, 
rouse  your  hearts !  —  open  your  eyes  and  see  the  evils 
which  are  gathering  thick  upon  us !  —  and  like  the  light- 
nings pent  up  in  yonder  clouds,  leap  forth  in  flame  and 
thunder,  and  clear  the  air !  " 

A  burst  of  frantic  acclamation  from  the  crowd  fol- 
lowed this  wild  harangue,  and  while  the  loud  roar  of 
voices  yet  echoed  aloft,  a  band  of  armed  police  came  into 
view,  marching  steadily  up  from  the  lower  streets  of  the 
city.     Sergius  Thord  smiled  as  he  saw  them  approach. 

'  Yonder  comes  the  Law !  "  he  said  —  "  A  few  poor 
constables,  badly  paid,  who  if  they  could  find  anything 
better  to  do  than  to  interfere  with  their  fellow-men  would 
be   glad   of   other   occupation !      Before   they   come   any 


Sergius  Thord  77 

nearer,  disperse  yourselves,  my  friends,  and  so  save  them 
trouble!  Go  all  to  your  homes  and  think  on  my  words; 
—  or  enter  the  Cathedral  and  pray,  those  who  will  —  but 
let  this  place  be  as  empty  of  you  in  five  minutes  as  though 
you  never  had  been  here !  Disperse,  —  and  farewell ! 
We  shall  meet  again !  " 

He  leaped  down  from  his  position  and  disappeared,  and 
in  obedience  to  his  command  the  crowd  began  to  melt 
away  with  almost  miraculous  speed.  Before  the  police 
could  reach  the  centre  of  the  square,  there  were  only  some 
thirty  or  forty  people  left,  and  these  were  quietly  entering 
the  Cathedral  where  the  service  for  the  saint  whose  feast 
day  was  being  celebrated  was  now  in  full  and  solemn 
progress. 

For  one  instant,  on  the  first  step  of  the  great  porch,  Ser- 
gius Thord  and  his  companion,  Johan  Zegota,  met,  — 
but  making  a  rapid  sign  to  each  other  with  the  left  hand, 
they  as  quickly  separated,  —  Zegota  to  enter  the  Cathe- 
dral, Thord  to  walk  rapidly  down  one  of  the  narrowest 
and  most  unfrequented  streets  to  the  lower  precincts  of 
the  city. 

The  afternoon  grew  darker,  and  the  weather  more  de- 
pressing, and  by  the  time  evening  closed  in,  the  rain  was 
pouring  persistently.  The  wind  had  ceased,  and  the 
thunder  had  long  since  died  away,  its  force  drenched  out 
bv  the  weight  of  water  in  the  clouds.  The  saint's  day 
had  ended  badly  for  all  concerned ;  —  many  of  the  chil- 
dren who  had  taken  part  in  the  procession  had  been 
carried  home  by  their  parents  wet  through,  all  the  pretty 
white  frocks  and  veils  of  the  little  girls  having  been  com- 
pletely soaked  and  spoilt  by  the  unkind  elements.  A 
drearier  night  had  seldom  gloomed  over  this  fair  city  of 
the  southern  sea,  and  down  in  the  quarters  of  the  poor, 
where  men  and  women  dwelt  all  huddled  miserably  in 
overcrowded  tenements,  and  sin  and  starvation  kept  hide- 
ous company  together,  the  streets  presented  as  dark  and 
forbidding  an  aspect  as  the  heavy  skies  blackly  brooding 
above.  Here  and  there  a  gas-lamp  flared  its  light  upon 
the  drawn  little  face  of  some  child  crouching  asleep  in  a 
doorway,  or  on  the  pinched  and  painted  features  of  some 
wretched  outcast  wending  her  way  to  the  den  she  called 
'  home.'     The  loud  brutal  laughter  of  drunken  men  was 


78 


"Temporal  Power' 


mingled  with  the  wailing-  of  half-starved  and  fretful 
infants,  and  the  mean,  squalid  houses  swarmed  with  the 
living  spawn  of  every  vice  and  lust  in  the  calendar  of 
crime.  Deep  in  the  heart  of  the  so-called  civilized,  beauti- 
ful and  luxurious  city,  this  '  quarter  of  the  poor,'  the 
cancer  of  the  social  body,  throbbed  and  ate  its  destructive 
way  slowly  but  surely  on,  and  Sergius  Thord,  who  longed 
to  "lay  a  sharp  knife  against  it  and  cut  it  out,  for  the 
health  of  the  whole  community,  was  as  powerless  as 
Dante  in  hell  to  cure  the  evils  he  witnessed.  Yet  it  was 
not  too  much  to  say  that  he  would  have  given  his  life  to 
ease  another's  pain,  —  as  swiftly  and  as  readily  as  he 
would  have  taken  life  without  mercy,  in  the  pursuit  of 
what  he  imagined  to  be  a  just  vengeance. 

"How  vain,  after  all,  is  my  labour!"  he  thought  — 
"  How  helpless  I  am  to  move  the  self-centred  powers  of 
the  Government  and  the  Throne!  Even  were  all  these 
wretched  multitudes  to  rise  with  me,  and  make  havoc  of 
the  whole  city,  should  we  move  so  much  as  one  step  higher 
out  of  the  Gehenna  of  poverty  and  crime?  Almost  I 
doubt  it !  " 

He  walked  on  past  dark  open  doorways,  where  some  of 
the  miserable  inhabitants  of  the  dens  within,  stood  to  in- 
hale the  fresh  wet  air  of  the  rainy  night.  His  tall  form 
was  familiar  to  most  of  them,  —  if  they  were  considered 
as  wolves  of  humanity  in  the  sight  of  the  law,  they  were 
all  faithful  dogs  to  him ;  doing  as  he  bade,  running  where 
he  commanded,  ready  at  any  moment  to  assemble  at  any 
given  point  and  burn  and  pillage,  or  rob  and  slay.  There 
were  no  leaders  in  the  political  government,  —  but  this 
one  leader  of  the  massed  poor  could,  had  he  chosen,  have 
burned  clown  the  city.  But  he  did  not  choose.  He  had  a 
far-sighted,  clear  brain,  —  and  though  he  had  sworn  to 
destroy  abuses  wherever  he  could  find  them,  he  moved 
always  with  caution ;  and  his  plans  were  guided,  not  by 
impulse  alone,  but  by  earnest  consideration  for  the  fu- 
ture. He  was  marked  out  by  the  police  as  a  dangerous 
Socialist ;  and  his  movements  were  constantly  tracked 
and  dodged,  but  so  far,  he  had  done  nothing  which  could 
empower  his  arrest.  He  was  a  free  subject  in  a  free 
country ;  and  provided  he  created  no  open  disturbance 
he  had  as  much  liberty  as  a  mission  preacher  to  speak  in 


Sergius  Thord  79 

the  streets  to  those  who  would  stop  to  listen.     He  paused 
now  in  his  walk  at  the  door  of  one  house  more  than  com- 
monly dingy  and  tumble-down   in   appearance,   where  a 
man  lounged  outside  in  his  shirt-sleeves,  smoking. 
'  Is  all  well  with  you,  Matsin?  "  he  asked  gently. 

"  All   is   well!"   answered   the   man   called    Matsin, — 
'better  than  last  night.     The  child  is  dead." 

"Dead!"  echoed  Thord,  —  "And  the  mother 

"  Asleep !  "  answered  Matsin.  '  I  gave  her  opium  to 
save  her  from  madness.  She  was  hungry,  too  —  the 
opium  fed  her  and  made  her  forget !  " 

Thord  pushed  him  gently  aside,  and  went  into  the 
house.  There  on  the  floor  lay  the  naked  body  of  a  dead 
child,  so  emaciated  as  to  be  almost  a  skeleton ;  and  across 
it,  holding  it  close  with  one  arm,  was  stretched  a  woman, 
half  clothed,  her  face  hidden  in  her  unbound  dark  hair, 
breathing  heavily  in  a  drugged  sleep.  Great  tears  filled 
Thord 's  eyes. 

"  God  exists !  "  he  said,  —  "  And  He  can  bear  to  look 
upon  a  sight  like  this!  If  I  were  God,  I  should  hate  my- 
self for  letting  such  things  be!  " 

"  Perhaps  He  does  hate  Himself !  "  said  the  man  Mat- 
sin, who  had  also  come  in,  and  now  looked  at  the  scene 
with  sullen  apathy  —  "  That  may  be  the  cause  of  all  our 
troubles !  I  don't  understand  the  ways  of  God ;  or  the 
ways  of  man  either.  I  have  done  no  harm.  I  married  the 
woman  —  and  we  had  that  one  child.  I  worked  hard  for 
both.  I  could  not  get  sufficient  money  to  keep  us  going; 
I  did  metal  work  —  very  well,  so  I  was  told.  But  they 
make  it  all  abroad  now  by  machinery  —  I  cannot  compete. 
They  don't  want  new  designs  they  say  —  the  old  will 
serve.  I  do  anything  now  that  I  can  —  but  it  is  difficult. 
You,  too,  —  you  starve  with  us!  " 

'  I  am  poor,  if  that  is  what  you  mean,"  said  Thord,  — 
"  but  take  all  I  have  to-night,  Matsin  —  "  and  he  emptied 
a  small  purse  of  silver  coins  into  the  man's  hand.  '  Bury 
the  poor  little  innocent  one ;  - —  and  comfort  the  mother 
when  she  wakes.  Comfort  her !  —  love  her!  —  she  needs 
love!     I  will  be  back  again  to-morrow." 

He  strode  away  quickly,  and  Matsin  remained  at  his 
door  turning  over  the  money  in  his  hand. 

'  He   will    sacrifice   something   he   needs   himself,    for 


8o  "Temporal  Power" 

this,"  he  muttered.  "  Yet  that  is  the  man  they  say  the 
King-  would  hang  if  ever  he  got  hold  of  him!  By 
Heaven  !  —  the  King  himself  should  hang  first !  " 

Meanwhile  Sergius  Thord  went  on,  slackening  his  pace 
a  little  as  he  came  near  his  own  destination,  a  tall  and 
narrow  house  at  the  end  of  the  street,  with  a  single  light 
shining  in  one  of  the  upper  windows.  There  was  a  gas- 
lamp  some  few  paces  off,  and  under  this  stood  a  man 
reading,  or  trying  to  read,  a  newspaper  by  its  flickering 
glare.  Thord  glanced  at  him  with  some  suspicion  —  the 
stranger  was  too  near  his  own  lodging  for  his  pleasure, 
for  he  was  always  on  his  guard  against  spies.  Approach- 
ing more  closely,  he  saw  that  though  the  man  was  shab- 
bily attired  in  a  rough  pilot  suit,  much  the  worse  for  wear, 
he  nevertheless  had  the  indefinable  look  and  bearing  of  a 
gentleman.  Acting  on  impulse,  as  he  often  did,  Thord 
spoke  to  him. 

"  A  rough  night  for  reading  by  lamplight,  my  friend!  " 
he  said. 

The  man  looked  up,  and  smiled. 

'  Yes,  it  is,  rather!  But  I  have  only  just  got  the  even- 
ing paper." 

"Any  special  news?" 

'  No  —  only  this  —  "  and  he  pointed  to  a  bold  headline 
—  "  The  King  z'crsus  The  Jesuits." 

"  Ah !  "  said  Thord,  and  he  studied  the  looks  and  bear- 
ing of  the  stranger  with  increasing  curiosity.  "  What  do 
you  think  of  it  ?  " 

"  What  do  I  think?  May  I  ask,  without  offence,  what 
you  think?  " 

4  I  think,"  said  Thord  slowly,  "  that  the  King  has  for 
once  in  his  life  done  a  wise  thing." 

'  For  once  in  his  life!  '  "  repeated  the  stranger  dubi- 
ously ■ —  "  Then  I  presume  your  King  is,  generally  speak- 
ing, a  fool?  " 

'If  you  are  a  subject  of  his  — "  began  Thord 
slowly 

'  Thank  Heaven,  I  am  not !  I  am  a  mere  wanderer  — 
a  literary  loafer  —  a  student  of  men  and  manners.  I  read 
books,  and  I  write  them  too,  —  this  will  perhaps  explain 
the  eccentricity  of  my  behaviour  in  trying  to  read  under 
the  lamplight  in  the  rain  !  " 


Sergius  Thord  8  i 

He  smiled  again,  and  the  smile  was  irresistibly  pleasant. 
Something  about  him  attracted  Thord,  and  after  a  pause 
he  asked  : 

'  If  you  are,  as  you  say,  a  wanderer  and  a  stranger  in 
this  town,  can  I  be  of  service  to  you?  " 

'  You  are  very  kind !  "  said  the  other,  turning  a  pair  of 
deep,  dark,  grey  meditative  eyes  upon  him,  —  "  And  I  am 
infinitely  obliged  to  you  for  the  suggestion.  But  I  really 
want  nothing.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  I  am  waiting  for  two 
friends  of  mine  who  have  just  gone  into  one  of  the  foul 
and  filthy  habitations  here,  to  see  what  they  can  do  for  a 
suddenly  bereaved  family.  The  husband  and  father  fell 
dead  in  the  street  before  our  eyes, — and  those  who  picked 
him  up  said  he  was  drunk,  but  it  turned  out  that  he  was 
merely  starved,  —  merely!  —  you  understand?  Merely 
starved !  We  found  his  home,  —  and  the  poor  widow  is 
wailing  and  weeping,  and  the  children  are  crying  for  food. 
I  confess  myself  quite  unable  to  bear  the  sight,  and  so  I 
have  sent  all  the  money  I  had  about  me  to  help  them  for 
to-night  at  least.  By  my  faith,  they  are  most  hopelessly, 
incurably  miserable!  " 

'  Their  lot  is  exceedingly  common  in  these  quarters," 
said  Thord,  sorrowfully.  "  Day  after  day,  night  after 
night,  men,  women  and  children  toil,  suffer  and  die  here 
without  ever  knowing  what  it  is  to  have  one  hour  of  free 
fresh  air,  one  day  of  rest  and  joy!  Yet  this  is  a  great 
city,  —  and  we  live  in  a  civilized  country ! ':  He  smiled 
bitterly,  then  added  —  "  You  have  done  a  good  action  ; 
and  you  need  no  thanks,  or  I  would  thank  you ;  for  my 
life's  work  lies  among  these  wretched  poor,  and  I  am 
familiar  with  their  tragic  histories.     Good-night !  " 

'  Pray    do    not    go !  '     said    the    stranger    suddenly  — 

'  I    should   like   to   talk   to   you    a    little    longer,    if   you 

have  no  objection.     Is  there  not  some  place  near,  where 

we  can  go  out  of  this  rain  and  have  a  glass  of  wine 

together?  " 

Sergius  Thord  stood  irresolute,  —  gazing  at  him,  half 
in  liking,  half  in  distrust. 

"  Sir,"  he  said  at  last,  "  I  do  not  know  you  —  and  you 
do  not  know  me.  If  I  told  you  my  name,  you  would 
probably  not  seek  my  company !  " 

'Will  you  tell  it?"  suggested  the  stranger  cheerfully 

6 


82  "Temporal  Power' 

—  "  Mine  is  at  your  service  —  Pasquin  Lerov.  ^  I  fear  my 
fame  as  an  author  has  not  reached  your  ears !  " 

Thord  shook  his  head. 

"  No.  I  have  never  heard  of  you.  And  probably  you 
have  never  heard  of  me.     My  name  is  Sergius  Thord." 

"  Sergius  Thord !  "  echoed  the  stranger ;  "  Now  that 
is  truly  remarkable!  It  is  a  happy  coincidence  that  we 
should' have  met  to-night.  I  have  just  seen  your  name  in 
this  verv  paper  which  you  caught  me  reading  —  see !  — 
the  next  heading  under  that  concerning  the  King  and 
the  Jesuits  — '  Thord's  Rabble.'  Are  not  you  that  same 
Thord?" 

"  I  am !  "  said  Thord  proudly,  his  eyes  shining  as  he 
took  the  paper  and  perused  quickly  the  few  flashy  lines 
which  described  the  crowd  outside  the  Cathedral  that 
afternoon,  and  set  him  down  as  a  crazy  Socialist,  and  dis- 
turber of  the  peace,  "  And  the  '  rabble  '  as  this  scribbling 
fool  calls  it,  is  the  greater  part  of  this  city's  population. 
The  King  may  intimidate  his  Court ;  but  I,  Sergius  Thord, 
with  my  '  rabble  '  can  intimidate  both  Court  and  King!  " 

He  drew  himself  up  to  his  full  majestic  height  —  a 
noble  figure  of  a  man  with  his  fine  heroic  head  and  eagle- 
like glance  of  eye,  —  and  he  who  had  called  himself  Pas- 
quin Leroy,  suddenly  held  out  his  hand. 

"  Let  me  see  more  of  you,  Sergius  Thord !  "  he  said,  — 
"  You  are  the  very  man'  for  me !  They  say  in  this  paper 
that  you  spoke  to  a  great  multitude  outside  the  Cathedral 
this  afternoon,  and  interfered  with  the  religious  proces- 
sion ;  they  also  say  you  are  the  head  of  a  Society  called 
the  Revolutionary  Committee ;  —  now  let  me  work  for 
you  in  some  department  of  that  business !  " 

"  Let  you  work  for  me?"  echoed  Thord  astonished  — 
"  But  how  ?  " 

"  In  this  way  —  "  replied  the  other  —  "  I  write  Social- 
istic works,  —  and  for  this  cause  have  been  expelled  from 
my  native  home  and  surroundings.  I  have  a  little  money 
—  and  some  influence,  —  and  I  will  devote  both  to  your 
Cause.     Will  you  take  me,  and  trust  me?  " 

Thord  caught  his  extended  hand,  and  looked  at  him 
with  a  kind  of  fierce  intentness. 

"You  mean  it?"  he  said  in  thrilling  tones  — "  You 
mean  it  positively  and  truly  ?  " 


Sergius  Thord  83 

'  Positively  and  truly !  "  said  Leroy  —  "  If  you  are 
working  to  remedy  the  frightful  evils  abounding  in  this 
wretched  quarter  of  the  poor,  I  will  help  you !  If  you 
are  striving  to  destroy  rank  abuses,  I  ask  nothing  better 
than  to  employ  my  pen  in  your  service.  I  will  get  work 
on  the  press  here  —  I  will  do  all  I  can  to  aid  your  pur- 
poses and  carry  out  your  intentions.  I  have  no  master, 
so  am  free  to  do  as  I  like ;  and  I  will  devote  myself  to 
your  service  so  long  as  you  think  I  can  be  of  any  use 
to  you.'' 

'  Wait !  "  said  Thord — "You  must  not  be  carried  away 
by  a  sudden  generous  impulse,  simply  because  you  have 
witnessed  one  scene  of  the  continual  misery  that  is  going 
on  here  daily.  To  belong  to  our  Committee  means  much 
more  than  you  at  present  realize,  and  involves  an  oath 
which  you  may  not  be  willing  to  take!  And  what  of 
the  friends  you  spoke  of  ?  " 

'  They  will  do  what  I  do,"  replied  Leroy  — "  They 
share  my  fortunes  —  likewise  my  opinions  ;  —  and  here 
they  come,  —  so  they  can  speak  for  themselves,"  this,  as 
two  men  emerged  from  a  dark  street  on  the  left,  and 
came  full  into  the  lamplight's  flare — "Axel  Regor,  Max 
Graub  —  come  hither !  Fortune  has  singularly  favoured 
us  to-night !  Let  me  present  to  you  my  friend  —  "  and 
he  emphasized  the  word,  "  Sergius  Thord! " 

Both  men  started  ever  so  slightly  as  the  introduction 
was  performed,  and  Thord  looked  at  them  with  fresh 
touches  of  suspicion  here  and  there  lurking  in  his  mind. 
But  he  was  brave ;  and  having  once  proceeded  in  a  given 
direction  was  not  in  the  habit  of  turning  back.  He  there- 
fore saluted  both  the  new-comers  with  grave  courtesv. 

'  I  trust  you!  "  he  then  said  curtly  to  Leroy,  "and  I 
think  you  will  not  betray  my  trust.  If  you  do,  it  will  be 
the  worse  for  you !  " 

His  lips  parted  in  a  slight  sinister  smile,  and  the  two 
who  were  respectively  called  Axel  Regor  and  Max  Graub, 
exchanged  anxious  glances.  But  Leroy  showed  no  sign 
of  hesitation  or  alarm. 

'  Your  warning  is  quite  unnecessary,  Sergius  Thord," 
he  said,  —  "I  pledge  you  my  word  with  my  friendship  — 
and  my  word  is  my  bond !  I  will  also  hold  myself  respon- 
sible for  my  companions." 


8  + 


"  Temporal  Power 


5» 


Thord  bent  his  head  in  silent  recognition  of  this 
assurance. 

"  Then  follow  me,  if  such  is  your  desire,"  he  said  — 
"  Remember,  there  is  yet  time  to  go  in  another  direction, 
and  to  see  me  no  more ;  but  if  you  once  do  cast  in  your  lot 
with  mine  the  tie  between  us  is  indissoluble !  " 

He  paused,  as  though  expecting  some  recoil  or  hesita- 
tion on  the  part  of  those  to  whom  he  made  this  statement, 
but  none  came.  He  therefore  strode  on,  and  they  fol- 
lowed, till  arriving  at  the  door  of  the  tall,  narrow  house, 
where  the  light  in  the  highest  window  gleamed  like  a 
signal,  he  opened  it  with  a  small  key  and  entered,  holding 
it  back  courteously  for  his  three  new  companions  to  enter 
with  him.  They  did  so,  and  he  closed  the  door.  At  the 
same  moment  the  light  was  extinguished  in  the  upper 
window,  and  the  outside  of  the  house  became  a  mere  wall 
of  dense  blackness  in  the  driving  rain. 


CHAPTER   VII 

THE    IDEALISTS 

UP  a  long  uncarpeted  flight  of  stairs,  and  into  a  large 
lofty  room  on  the  second  storey,  Thord  led  the  way 
for  his  newly-fonnd  disciples  to  follow.  It  was  very  dark, 
and  they  had  to  feel  the  steps  as  they  went,  their  guide 
offering  neither  explanation  nor  apology  for  the  Cim- 
merian shades  of  gloom.  Stumbling  on  hands  and  knees 
they  spoke  not  a  word ;  though  once  Max  Graub  uttered 
something  like  an  oath  in  rough  German  ;  but  a  whisper 
from  Leroy  rebuked  and  silenced  him,  and  they  pursued 
their  difficult  ascent  until,  arriving  at  the  room  mentioned, 
they  found  themselves  in  the  company  of  about  fifteen  to 
twenty  men,  all  sitting  round  a  table  under  two  flaring 
billiard  lamps,  suspended  crookedly  from  the  ceiling.  As 
Thord  entered,  these  men  all  rose,  and  gave  him  an  ex- 
pressive sign  of  greeting  with  the  left  hand,  the  same  kind 
of  gesture  which  had  passed  between  him  and  Zegota  on 
the  Cathedral  steps  in  the  morning.  Zegota  himself  was 
one  of  their  number.  There  was  also  another  personage 
in  the  room  who  did  not  rise,  and  who  gave  no  sign  what- 
ever. This  was  a  woman,  who  sat  in  the  embrasure  of  a 
closed  and  shuttered  window  with  her  back  to  the  whole 
company.  It  was  impossible  to  say  whether  she  was 
young  or  old,  plain  or  handsome,  for  she  was  enveloped 
in  a  long  black  cloak  which  draped  her  from  shoulder  to 
heel.  All  that  could  be  distinguished  of  her  was  the  white 
nape  of  her  neck,  and  a  great  twist  of  dead  gold  hair. 
Her  presence  awakened  the  liveliest  interest  in  Pasquin 
Leroy,  who  found  it  impossible  to  avoid  nudging  his  com- 
panions, and  whispering  — 

"  A  woman !  By  Heaven,  this  drama  becomes  inter- 
esting! " 

But  Axel  Regor  and  Max  Graub  were  seemingly  not 
disposed  to  levity,  and  they  offered  no  response  to  their 


86  "Temporal  Power" 

lighter  minded  comrade  beyond  vague  hasty  side-looks  of 
alarm,  which  appeared  to  amuse  him  to  an  extent  that 
threatened  to  go  beyond  the  limits  of  caution.  Sergius 
Thord,  however,  saw  nothing  of  their  interchange  of 
glances  for  the  moment, — he  had  other  business  to  settle. 
Addressing  himself  at  once  to  the  men  assembled,  he 
said. — 

'  Friends  and  brothers !  I  bring  you  three  new  asso- 
ciates !  I  have  not  sought  them ;  they  have  sought  me. 
On  their  own  heads  be  their  destinies !  They  offer  their 
names  to  the  Revolutionary  Committee,  and  their  services 
to  our  Cause !  " 

A  low  murmur  of  approbation  from  the  company 
greeted  this  announcement.  Johan  Zegota  advanced  a 
little  in  front  of  all  the  rest. 

"  Every  man  is  welcome  to  serve  us  who  will  serve  us 
faithfully,"  he  said.  '  But  who  are  these  new  comrades, 
Sergius  Thord  ?    What  are  they  ?  " 

1  That  they  must  declare  for  themselves,"  said  Thord, 
taking  a  chair  at  the  head  of  the  table  which  was  evi- 
dently his  accustomed  place  —  "  Put  them  through  their 
examination !  " 

He  seated  himself  with  the  air  of  a  king,  his  whole  as- 
pect betokening  an  authority  that  would  not  be  trifled 
with  or  gainsaid. 

"  Gott  in  Himmel !  " 

This  exclamation  burst  suddenly  from  the  lips  of  the 
man  called  Max  Graub. 

'What  ails  you?"  said  Thord,  turning  full  upon  him 
his  glittering  eyes  that  flashed  ferocity  from  under  their 
shaggy  brows  —  "  Are  you  afraid  ?  " 

"Afraid?  Not  I!"  protested  Graub  — "But,  gentle- 
men, think  a  moment !  You  speak  of  putting  us — myself 
and  my  friends  —  through  an  examination  !  Why  should 
you  examine  us  ?  We  are  three  poor  adventurers  —  what 
can  we  have  to  tell  ?  " 

'  Much,  I  should  imagine !  "  retorted  Zegota  —  "  Ad- 
venturers are  not  such  without  adventures !  Your  white 
hairs  testify  to  some  experience  of  life." 

'  My  white  hairs  —  my  white  hairs!"  exclaimed  Graub, 
when  a  touch  from  Axel  Regor  apparently  recalled  some- 
thing to  his  mind  for  he  began  to  laugh  —  "  True,  gen- 


The  Idealists  87 

tlemen  !  Very  true !  I  had  forgotten  !  I  have  had  some 
adventures  and  some  experienees  !  My  good  friend  there, 
Pasquin  Leroy,  has  also  had  adventures  and  experiences, 
—  so  have  we  all !  Myself,  I  am  a  poor  German,  grown 
old  in  the  service  of  a  bad  king !  1  have  been  kicked  out 
of  that  service  —  Ach  !  —  just  for  telling  the  truth  ;  which 
is  very  much  the  end  of  all  truth  telling,  is  it  not?  Tell 
lies,  —  and  kings  will  reward  you  and  make  you  rich  and 
great !  —  but  tell  truth,  and  see  what  the  kings  will  give 
you  for  it !  Kicks,  and  no  halfpence  !  Pardon !  I  inter- 
rupt this  so  pleasant  meeting !  " 

All  the  men  present  looked  at  him  curiously,  but  said 
nothing  in  response  to  his  outburst.  Johan  Zegota,  seat- 
ing himself  next  to  Sergius  Thord,  opened  a  large  parch- 
ment volume  that  lay  on  the  table,  and  taking  up  a  pen 
addressed  himself  to  Thord,  saying  — 

"  Will  you  ask  the  questions,  or  shall  I  ?  " 

"  You,  by  all  means !    Proceed  in  the  usual  manner." 

Whereupon  Zegota  began.  — 

"  Stand  forth,  comrades !  " 

The  three  strangers  advanced. 

"  Your  names?    Each  one  answer  separately,  please!  ': 

"  Pasquin  Leroy  !  " 

"  Axel  Regor !  " 

"  Max  Graub  !  " 

"  Of  what  nationality,  Pasquin  Leroy?  " 

Leroy  smiled.  "  Truly  I  claim  none !  "  he  said  ;  "  I  was 
born  a  slave." 

"  A  slave !  " 

The  words  were  repeated  in  tones  of  astonishment 
round  the  room. 

"  Why,  yes,  a  slave !  "  repeated  Leroy  quietly.  '  You 
have  heard  of  black  slaves, — have  you  not  lieard  of  white 
ones  too?  There  are  countries  still,  where  men  purchase 
other  men  of  their  own  blood  and  colour ;  —  tyrannous 
governments,  which  force  such  men  to  work  for  them, 
chained  to  one  particular  place  till  they  die.  I  am  one  of 
those,  —  though  escaped  for  the  present.  You  can  ask 
me  more  of  my  country  if  you  will ;  but  a  slave  has  no 
country  save  that  of  his  master.  If  you  care  at  all  for  my 
services,  you  will  spare  me  further  examination  on  this 
subject !  " 


88  "Temporal  Power' 

Zegota  looked  enquiringly  at  Thord. 

"  We  will  pass  that  question,"  said  the  latter,  in  a  low 
tone. 

Zegota  resumed  — 

"  You,  Axel  Regor  —  are  you  a  slave  too?  " 

Axel  Regor  smiled  languidly. 

"  No!  I  am  what  is  called  a  free-born  subject  of  the 
realm.  I  do  what  I  like,  though  not  always  how  I  like,  or 
when  I  like  !  " 

"And  you,  Max  Graub?" 

"German!"  said  that  individual  firmly;  "German  to 
the  backbone — Socialist  to  the  soul ! — and  an  enemy  of  all 
ruling  sovereigns,  —  particularly  the  one  that  rules  me!  " 

Thord  smiled  darkly. 

"If  you  feel  inclined  to  jest,  Max  Graub,  I  must  warn 
you  that  jesting  is  not  suited  to  the  immediate  moment." 

"  Jesting !  I  never  was  more  in  earnest  in  my  life !  " 
declared  Graub,  —  "  Why  have  I  left  my  native  country? 
Merely  because  it  is  governed  by  Kaiser  Wilhelm !  ,: 

Thord  smiled  again. 

"  The  subject  of  nationality  seems  to  excite  all  three  of 
you,"  he  said,  "  and  though  we  ask  you  the  question  pro 
forma,  it  is  not  absolutely  necessary  that  we  should  know 
from  whence  you  come.  We  require  your  names,  and 
your  oath  of  fealty ;  but  before  binding  yourselves,  I  will 
read  you  our  laws,  and  the  rules  of  membership  for  this 
societv ;  rules  to  which,  if  you  join  us,  you  are  expected 
to  conform." 

"  Suppose,  for  the  sake  of  argument,"  said  Pasquin 
Leroy,  —  "  that  after  hearing  the  rules  we  found  it  wisest 
to  draw  back?  Suppose  my  friends,  —  if  not  myself, — 
were  disinclined  to  join  your  Society;  —  what  would 
happen  ?  " 

As  he  asked  the  question  a  curious  silence  fell  upon  the 
company,  and  all  eyes  were  turned  upon  the  speaker. 
There  was  a  dead  pause  for  a  moment,  and  then  Thord 
replied  slowly  and  with  emphasis :  — 

"  Nothing  would  happen  save  this,  —  that  you  would 
be  bound  by  a  solemn  oath  never  to  reveal  what  you  had 
heard  or  seen  here  to-night,  and  that  you  would  from 
henceforth  be  tracked  every  day  and  hour  of  your  life  by 
those  who  would  take  care  that  you  kept  your  oath !  " 


The  Idealists  89 

"You  see!"  exclaimed  Axel  Regor  excitedly,  "There 


is  danger 

'  Danger?  Of  what?  "  asked  Pasquin  Leroy  coldly  ;  — 
"  Of  death  ?  Each  one  of  us,  and  all  three  of  us  would 
fully  merit  it,  if  we  broke  our  word !  Gentlemen  both !  " 
—  and  he  addressed  his  two  companions,  "If  you  fear 
any  harm  may  come  to  yourselves  through  joining  this 
society,  pray  withdraw  while  there  is  yet  time !  My  own 
mind  is  made  up ;  I  intend  to  become  familiar  with  the 
work  of  the  Revolutionary  Committee,  and  to  aid  its 
cause  by  my  personal  service !  " 

A  loud  murmur  of  applause  came  from  the  company. 
Axel  Regor  and  Max  Graub  glanced  at  Leroy,  and  saw 
in  his  face  that  his  decision  was  unalterable. 

'  Then  we  will  work  for  the  Cause,  also,"  said  Max 
Graub  resignedly.  '  What  you  determine  upon,  we  shall 
do,  shall  we  not,  Axel?  " 

Axel  Regor  gave  a  brief  assent. 

Sergius  Thord  looked  at  them  all  straightly  and  keenly. 

"  You  have  finally  decided  ?  " 

'  We  have!  "  replied  Leroy.  "  We  will  enrol  ourselves 
as  your  associates  at  once." 

Whereupon  Johan  Zegota  rose  from  his  place,  and  un- 
locking an  iron  safe  which  stood  in  one  corner  of  the 
room,  took  out  a  roll  of  parchment  and  handed  it  to 
Thord,  who,  unfolding  it,  read  in  a  clear  though  low 
voice  the  following :  — 

"  We,  the  Revolutionary  Committee,  are  organized  as  a 
Brotherhood,  bound  by  all  the  ties  of  life,  death,  and 
our  common  humanity,  to  destroy  the  abuses,  and 
redress  the  evils,  which  self-seeking  and  tyrannous 
Governments  impose  upon  the  suffering  poor. 
"  Firstly:  We  bind  ourselves  to  resist  all  such  laws  as 
may  in  any  degree  interfere  with  the  reasonable,  intel- 
lectual, and  spiritual  freedom  of  man  or  woman. 

"  Secondly:  We  swear  to  agitate  against  all  forms  of 
undue  and  excessive  taxation,  which,  while  scarcely  af- 
fecting the  rich,  make  life  more  difficult  and  unendur- 
able to  the  poor. 

'  Thirdly:  We  protest  against  the  domination  of  priest- 
craft,  and   the   secret   methods   which   are   employed  by 


90  "Temporal  Power" 

the  Church  to  obtain  undue  influence  in  Governmental 
matters. 

"Fourthly:  We  are  determined  to  stand  firmly  against 
the  entrance  of  foreign  competitors  in  the  country's  trade 
and  business.  All  heads  and  ruling  companies  of  firms 
employing  foreigners  instead  of  native  workmen,  are 
marked  out  by  us  as  traitors,  and  are  reserved  for 
traitors'   punishment. 

"  Fifthly:  We  are  sworn  to  exterminate  the  existing 
worthless  Government,  and  to  replace  it  by  a  working 
body  of  capable  and  intelligent  men,  elected  by  the  uni- 
versal vote  of  the  entire  country.  Such  elections  must 
take  place  freely  and  openly,  and  no  secret  influence  shall 
be  used  to  return  any  one  person  or  party  to  power. 
Those  attempting  to  sway  opinion  by  bribery  and  cor- 
ruption, will  be  named  to  the  public,  and  exposed  to  dis- 
grace and  possible  death. 

"  Sixthly:  We  are  resolved  to  unmask  to  the  public  the 
duplicity,  treachery,  and  self-interested  motives  of  the 
Secretary  of  State,  Carl  Perousse. 

"  Seventhly:  We  are  sworn  to  bring  about  such  changes 
as  shall  elevate  a  Republic  to  supreme  power,  and  for 
this  purpose  are  solemnly  pledged  to  destroy  the  present 
Monarchy." 

'  These,"  said  Sergius  Thord,  "  are  the  principal  ob- 
jects of  our  Society's  work.  There  are  other  points  to 
be  considered,  but  these  are  sufficient  for  the  present.  I 
will  now  read  the  rules,  which  each  member  of  our 
Brotherhood  must  follow  if  he  would  serve  us  faithfully." 

He  turned  over  another  leaf  of  the  parchment  scroll  he 
held,  and  continued,  reading  very  slowly  and  distinctly : 

"Rule  i.  —  Each  member  of  the  Revolutionary  Com- 
mittee shall  swear  fidelity  to  the  Cause,  and  pledge  him- 
self to  maintain  inviolable  secrecy  on  all  matters  con- 
nected with  his  membership  and  his  work  for  the  Society. 

"  Rule  2.  —  No  member  shall  track,  follow,  or  enquire 
into  the  movements  of  any  other  member. 

'  Rule  3.  —  Once  in  every  month  all  members  are  ex- 
pected to  meet  together  at  a  given  place,  decided  upon  by 


The  Idealists  91 

the  Chief  of  the  Committee  at  the  previous  meeting,  when 
business  will  be  discussed,  and  lots  drawn,  to  determine 
the  choice  of  such  members  as  may  be  fitted  to  perform 
such  business. 

"  Rule  4.  —  No  member  shall  be  bound  to  give  his  ad- 
dress, or  to  state  where  he  travels,  or  when  or  how  he 
goes,  as  in  all  respects  save  that  of  his  membership  he  is 
a  free  man. 

"  Rule  5.  —  Tn  this  same  respect  of  his  membership,  he 
is  bound  to  appear,  or  to  otherwise  report  himself  once  a 
month  at  the  meeting  of  the  Committee.  Should  he  fail 
to  do  so  either  by  person,  or  by  letter  satisfactorily  ex- 
plaining his  absence,  he  will  be  judged  as  a  traitor,  and 
dealt  with  accordingly. 

"  Rule  6.  —  In  the  event  of  any  member  being  selected 
to  perform  any  deed  involving  personal  danger  or  loss 
to  himself,  the  rest  of  the  members  are  pledged  to  shelter 
him  from  the  consequences  of  his  act,  and  to  provide  him 
with  all  the  necessaries  of  life,  till  his  escape  from  harm 
is  ensured  and  his  safety  guaranteed." 

'  You  have  heard  all  now,"  said  Thord,  as  he  laid  aside 
the  parchment  scroll ;  "  Are  you  still  willing  to  take  the 
oath  ?  " 

'  Entirely  so !  "  rejoined  Pasquin  Leroy  cheerfully ; 
"  You  have  but  to  administer  it." 

Here  a  man,  who  had  been  sitting  in  a  dark  corner 
apart  from  the  table,  with  his  head  buried  in  his  hands, 
suddenly  looked  up,  showing  a  thin,  fine,  eager  face,  a 
pair  of  wild  eyes,  and  a  tumbled  mass  of  dark  curly  hair, 
plentifully  sprinkled  with  grey. 

"  Ah !  "  he  cried,  —  "  Now  comes  the  tragic  moment, 
when  the  spectators  hold  their  breath,  and  the  blue  flame 
is  turned  on,  and  the  man  manages  the  lime-light  so  that 
its  radiance  shall  fall  on  the  face  of  the  chief  actor  —  or 
Actress !  And  the  bassoons  and  'cellos  grumble  inaudible 
nothings  to  the  big  drum !  Administer  the  oath,  Sergius 
Thord !  " 

A  smile  went  the  round  of  the  company. 

"  Have  you  only  just  wakened  up  from  sleep,  Paul 
Zouche  ?  "  asked  Zegota. 


92  "Temporal  Power 


"  I  never  sleep,"  answered  Zouche,  pushing  his  hair 
back  from  his  forehead ;  —  "  Unless  sleep  compels  me, 
by  force,  to  yield  to  its  coarse  and  commonplace  persua- 
sion. To  lie  down  in  a  shirt  and  snore  the  hours  away! 
Faugh !  Can  anything  be  more  gross  or  vulgar !  Time 
flies  so  quickly,  and  life  is  so  short,  that  I  cannot  afford 
to  waste  any  moment  in  such  stupid  unconsciousness.  I 
can  drink  wine,  make  love,  and  kill  rascals  —  all  these 
occupations  are  much  more  interesting  than  sleeping. 
Come,  Sergius!  Play  the  great  trick  of  the  evening! 
Administer  the  oath  !  " 

A  frowning  line  puckered  Thord's  brows,  but  the  ex- 
pression of  vexation  was  but  momentary.  Turning  to 
Leroy  again  he  said : 

"  You  are  quite  ready?  " 

"  Quite,"  replied  Leroy. 

"And  your  friends ?" 

Leroy  smiled.     "  They  are  ready  also !  " 

There  followed  a  pause.  Then  Thord  called  in  a  clear 
low  tone  — 

"  Lotys !  " 

The  woman  sitting1  in  the  embrasure  of  the  window 
rose,  and  turning  round  fully  confronted  all  the  men. 
Her  black  cloak  falling  back  on  either  side,  disclosed  her 
figure  robed  in  dead  white,  with  a  scarlet  sash  binding  her 
waist.  Her  face,  pale  and  serene,  was  not  beautiful ;  yet 
beauty  was  suggested  in  every  feature.  Her  eyes  seemed 
to  be  half  closed  in  a  drooping  indifference  under  the 
white  lids,  which  were  fringed  heavily  with  dark  gold 
lashes.  A  sculptor  might  have  said,  that  whatever  claim 
to  beauty  she  had  was  contained  in  the  proud  poise  of  her 
throat,  and  the  bounteous  curve  of  her  bosom,  but  though 
in  a  manner  startled  by  her  appearance,  the  three  men 
who  had  chanced  upon  this  night's  adventure  were  singu- 
larly disappointed  in  it.  They  had  somehow  expected 
that  when  that  mysterious  cloaked  feminine  figure  turned 
round,  a  vision  of  dazzling  beauty  would  be  disclosed ; 
and  at  the  first  glance  there  was  nothing  whatever  about 
this  woman  that  seemed  particularly  worthy  of  note.  She 
was  not  young  or  old  —  possibly  between  twenty-eight  or 
thirty.  She  was  not  tall  or  short ;  she  was  merely  of  the 
usual  medium  height,  —  so  that  altogether  she  was  one 


The  Idealists  93 


of  those  provoking  individuals,  who  not  seldom  deceive 
the  eye  at  first  sight  by  those  ordinary  looks  which  veil 
an  extraordinary  personality. 

She  stood  like  an  automatic  figure,  rigid  and  silent,  — 
till  Sergius  Thord  signed  to  his  three  new  associates  to 
advance.  Then  with  a  movement,  rapid  as  a  flash  of 
lightning,  she  suddenly  drew  a  dagger  from  her  scarlet 
girdle,  and  held  it  out  to  them.  Nerved  as  he  was  to  meet 
danger,  Pasquin  Leroy  recoiled  slightly,  while  his  two 
companions  started  as  if  to  defend  him.  As  she  saw  this, 
the  woman  raised  her  drooping  eyelids,  and  a  pair  of 
wonderful  eyes  shone  forth,  dark  blue  as  iris-flowers, 
while  a  faint  scornful  smile  lifted  the  corners  of  her 
mouth.     But  she  said  nothing. 

"There  is  no  cause  to  fear!"  said  Sergius  Thord, 
glancing  with  a  touch  of  derision  in  his  looks  from  one 
to  the  other,  "  Lotys  is  the  witness  of  all  our  vows ! 
Swear  now  after  me  upon  this  drawn  dagger  which  she 
holds,  —  lay  your  right  hands  here  upon  the  blade !  " 

Thus  adjured,  Pasquin  Leroy  approached,  and  placed 
his  right  hand  upon  the  shining  steel. 

'  I  swear  in  the  name  of  God,  and  in  the  presence  of 
Lotys.  that  I  will  faithfully  work  for  the  Cause  of  the  * 
Revolutionary  Committee,  —  and  that  I  will  adhere  to  its 
rules  and  obey  its  commands,  till  all  shall  be  done  that  is 
destined  to  be  done !  And  may  the  death  I  deserve  come 
suddenly  upon  me  if  ever  I  break  my  vow !  " 

Slowly  and  emphatically  Pasquin  Leroy  repeated  this 
formula  after  Sergius  Thord,  and  his  two  companions  did 
the  same,  though  perhaps  less  audibly.  This  ceremony 
performed,  the  woman  called  Lotys  looked  at  them  stead- 
fastly, and  the  smile  that  played  on  her  lips  changed  from 
scorn  to  sweetness.  The  dark  blue  iris-coloured  eyes 
deepened  in  lustre,  and  flashed  brilliantly  from  under  their 
drowsy  lids,  —  a  rosy  flush  tinted  the  clear  paleness  of 
her  skin,  and  like  a  statue  warming  to  life  she  became 
suddenly  beautiful. 

'  You  have  sworn  bravely !  "  she  said,  in  a  low  thrilling 
voice.     "  Now  sign  and  seal !  " 

As  she  spoke  she  lifted  her  bare  left  arm,  and  pricked 
it  with  the  point  of  the  dagger.  A  round,  full  drop  of 
blood  like  a  great  ruby  welled  up  on  the  white  skin.    All 


94  "Temporal  Power 


the  men  had  risen  from  their  places,  and  were  gathered 
about  her ;  —  this  '  taking  of  the  oath  '  was  evidently  the 
dramatic  event  of  their  existence  as  a  community. 

"  The  pen,  Sergius !  "  she  said. 

Thord  approached  with  a  white  unused  quill,  and  a 
vellum  scroll  on  which  the  names  of  all  the  members  of 
the  Society  were  written  in  ominous  red.  He  handed 
these  writing  implements  to  Leroy. 

"  Dip  your  pen  here,"  said  Lotys,  pointing  to  the  crim- 
son drop  on  her  arm,  and  eyeing  him  still  with  the  same 
half-sweet,  half-doubting  smile  —  "But  when  the  quill 
is  full,  beware  that  you  write  no  treachery !  " 

For  one  second  Leroy  appeared  to  hesitate.  He  was 
singularly  unnerved  by  the  glances  of  those  dark  blue 
eyes,  which  like  searchlights  seemed  to  penetrate  into 
every  nook  and  cranny  of  his  soul.  But  his  recklessness 
and  love  of  adventure  having  led  him  so  far,  it  was  now 
too  late  to  retract  or  to  reconsider  the  risks  he  might  pos- 
sibly be  running.  He  therefore  took  the  quill  and  dipped 
it  into  the  crimson  drop  that  welled  from  that  soft  white 
flesh. 

'  This  is  the  strangest  ink  I  have  ever  used !  "  he  said 
lightly,  — -  "  but  —  at  your  command,  Madame !  '3 

"  At  my  command,"  rejoined  Lotys,  "  your  use  of  it 
shall  make  your  oath  indelible !  " 

He  smiled,  and  wrote  his  name  boldly  '  Pasquin  Leroy  ' 
and  held  out  the  pen  for  his  companions  to  follow  his 
example. 

"  Ach  Gott !  "  exclaimed  Max  Graub,  as  he  dipped  the 
pen  anew  into  the  vital  fluid  from  a  woman's  veins  —  "I 
write  my  name,  Madame,  in  words  of  life,  thanks  to  your 
condescension !  " 

1  True !  "'  she  answered,  —  "  And  only  by  your  own 
falsehood  can  you  change  them  into  words  of  death !  " 

Signing  his  name  '  Max  Graub,'  he  looked  up  and  met 
her  searching  gaze.  Something  there  was  in  the  magnetic 
depth  of  her  eyes  that  strangely  embarrassed  him,  for  he 
stepped  back  hastily  as  though  intimidated.  Axel  Regor 
took  the  pen  from  his  hand,  and  wrote  his  name,  or 
rather  scrawled  it  carelessly,  almost  impatiently,  —  show- 
ing neither  hesitation  nor  repugnance  to  this  unusual 
method  of  subscribing  a  document. 


The  Idealists  95 

"  Yon  are  acting  on  compulsion  !  "  said  Lotys,  address- 
ing him  in  a  low  tone;  "  Yonr  compliance  is  in  obedience 
to  some  other  command  than  ours!  And- — — yon  will 
do  well  to  remain  obedient !  " 

Axel  Regor  gave  her  an  amazed  glance,  —  but  she  paid 
no  heed  to  it,  and  binding  her  arm  with  her  kerchief,  let 
her  long  white  sleeve  fall  over  it. 

'  So,  yon  are  enrolled  among  the  sons  of  my  blood !  " 
she  said,  "So  are  you  bound  to  me  and  mine!'  She 
moved  to  the  further  end  of  the  table  and  stood  there 
looking  round  upon  them  all.  Again  the  slow,  sweet, 
half-disdainfnl  smile  irradiated  her  features.  '  Well, 
children!  —  what  else  remains  to  do?  What  next?  What 
next  can  there  be  but  drink  —  smoke  —  talk !  Man's 
three  most  cherished  amusements !  " 

She  sat  down,  throwing  back  her  heavy  cloak  on  either 
side  of  her.  Her  hair  had  come  partly  unbound,  and 
noticing  a  tress  of  it  falling  on  her  shoulder,  she  drew  out 
the  comb  and  let  it  fall  altogether  in  a  mass  of  gold- 
brown,  like  the  tint  of  a  dull  autumn  leaf,  flecked  here 
and  there  with  amber.  Catching  it  dexterously  in  one 
hand,  she  twisted  it  up  again  in  a  loose  knot,  thrusting 
the  comb  carelessly  through. 

'  Drink  —  smoke  —  talk,  Sergius  !  "  she  repeated,  still 
smiling;    "  Shall  I  ring?" 

Sergius  Thord  stood  looking  at  her  irresolutely,  with  the 
half-angry,  half-pleading  expression  of  a  chidden  child. 

'  As  you  please,  Lotys !  "  he  answered.  Whereupon 
she  pressed  an  invisible  spring  under  the  table,  which  set 
a  bell  ringing  in  some  lower  quarter  of  the  house. 

'  Pasquin  Leroy,  Axel  Regor,  Max  Graub!  "  she  said 
— "  Take  your  places  for  to-night  beside  me  —  new- 
comers are  always  thus  distinguished !  And  all  of  you  sit 
down !  You  are  grouped  at  present  like  hungry  wolves 
waiting  to  spring.  But  you  are  not  really  hungry,  except 
for  something  which  is  not  food !  And  you  are  not  wait- 
ing for  anything  except  for  permission  to  talk !  I  give  it 
to  you  —  talk,  children  !  Talk  yourselves  hoarse !  It  will 
do  you  good !  And  I  will  personate  supreme  wisdom  by 
listening  to  you  in  silence!" 

A  kind  of  shamed  laugh  went  round  the  company,  — 
theu  followed  the  scuffling  of  feet,  and  grating  of  chairs 


96  "Temporal  Power' 

against  the  floor,  and  presently  the  table  was  completely 
surrounded,  the  men  sitting  close  up  together,  and  Sergius 
Thord  occupying  his  place  at  their  head. 

When  they  were  all  seated,  they  formed  a  striking 
assembly  of  distinctly  marked  personalities.  There  were 
very  few  mean  types  among  them,  and  the  stupid,  half- 
vague  and  languid  expression  of  the  modern  loafer  or  '  do 
nothing  '  creature,  who  just  for  lack  of  useful  work  plots 
mischief,  was  not  to  be  seen  on  any  of  their  countenances. 
A  certain  moroseness  and  melancholy  seemed  to  brood 
like  a  delayed  storm  among  them,  and  to  cloud  the  very 
atmosphere  they  breathed,  but  apart  from  this,  intellectu- 
ality was  the  dominant  spirit  suggested  by  their  outward 
looks  and  bearing.  Plebeian  faces  and  vulgar  manners 
are,  unfortunately,  not  rare  in  representative  gatherings 
of  men  whose  opinions  are  allowed  to  sway  the  destinies 
of  nations,  and  it  was  strange  to  see  a  group  of  indi- 
viduals who  were  sworn  to  upset  existing  law  and  gov- 
ernment so  distinguished  by  refined  and  even  noble 
appearance.  Their  clothes  were  shabby,  —  their  aspect 
certainly  betokened  long  suffering  and  contention  with 
want  and  poverty,  but  they  were,  taken  all  together,  a  set 
of  men  who,  if  they  had  been  members  of  a  recognized 
parliament  or  senate,  would  have  presented  a  fine  collec- 
tion of  capable  heads  to  an  observant  painter.  As  soon 
as  they  were  gathered  round  the  table  under  the  presi- 
dency of  Sergius  Thord  at  one  end,  and  the  tranquil  toler- 
ance of  the  mysterious  Lotys  at  the  other,  they  broke 
through  the  silence  and  reserve  which  they  had  carefully 
maintained  till  their  three  new  comrades  had  been  irre- 
coverably enrolled  among  them,  and  conversation  went 
on  briskly.  The  topic  of  '  The  King  versus  the  Jesuits,' 
was  one  of  the  first  they  touched  upon,  Sergius  Thord 
relating  for  the  benefit  of  all  his  associates,  how  he  had 
found  Pasquin  Leroy  reading  by  lamplight  the  news- 
paper which  reported  his  Majesty's  refusal  to  grant  any 
portion  of  Crown  lands  to  the  priests,  and  which  also 
spoke  of  '  Thord's  Rabble.' 

"Here  is  the  paper!"  said  Leroy,  as  he  heard  the 
narration ;  "  Whoever  likes  to  keep  it  can  do  so,  as  a 
memento  of  my  introduction  to  this  Society !  " 

And  he  tossed  it  lightly  on  the  table. 


The  Idealists  97 

"  Good !  "  exclaimed  Paul  Zonchc ;  "  Give  it  to  me,  and 
I  will  cherish  it  as  a  kind  of  birthday  card !  What  a  rag 
it  is !  'Thord's  Rabble'  eh  !  Sergius,  what  have  you  been 
doing-  that  this  little  flea  of  an  editor  should  jump  out  of 
his  ink-pot  and  bite  you?    Does  he  hurt  much?  " 

"Hurt!"  Thord  laughed  aloud.  'If  I  had  money 
enough  to  pay  the  man  ten  golden  coins  a  week  where  his 
present  employer  gives  him  five,  he  would  dance  to  any 
tune  I  whistled  !  " 

"  Is  that  so  ?  "  asked  Leroy,  with  interest. 

"Do  you  not  know  that  it  is  so?"  rejoined  Thord. 
"  You  tell  me  you  write  Socialistic  works  —  you  should 
know  something  concerning  the  press." 

"  Ah ! "  said  Max  Graub,  nodding  his  head  sagely. 
'  He  does  know  much,  but  not  all !  It  would  need  more 
penetration  than  even  he  possesses,  to  know  all !  Alas  !  — 
my  friend  was  never  a  popular  writer !  " 

"  Like  myself !  "  exclaimed  Zouche,  "  I  am  not  popular, 
and  I  never  shall  be.  But  I  know  how  to  make  myself 
reputed  as  a  great  genius,  and  all  the  very  respectable 
literary  men  are  beginning  to  recognize  me  as  such.  Do 
you  know  why?  " 

'  Because  you  drink  more  than  is  good  for  you,  my  poor 
Zouche !  "  said  Lotys  tranquilly ;   "  That  is  one  reason  !  " 

"  Hear  her!  "  cried  Zouche,  —  "  Does  she  not  always, 
like  the  Sphinx,  propound  enigmas  !  Lotys,  —  little,  dom- 
ineering Lotys,  why  in  the  name  of  Heaven  should  I 
secure  recognition  as  a  poet,  through  drunkenness  ?  " 

"Because  your  vice  kills  your  genius,"  said  Lotys; 
'  Therefore  you  are  quite  safe !  If  you  were  less  of  a 
scamp  you  would  be  a  great  man,  —  perhaps  the  greatest 
in  the  country !  That  would  never  do !  Your  rivals 
would  never  forgive  you !  But  you  are  a  hopeless  rascal, 
incapable  of  winning  much  honour ;  and  so  you  are  com- 
passionately recognized  as  somebody  who  might  do  some- 
thing if  he  only  would  —  that  is  all,  my  Zouche !  You  are 
an  excellent  after-dinner  topic  with  those  who  are  more 
successful  than  yourself ;  and  that  is  the  only  fame  you 
will  ever  win,  believe  me !  ': 

"  Now  by  all  the  gods  and  goddesses!  "  cried  Paul  — 
"  I  do  protest  — —  " 

"  After   supper,    Zouche !  "    interrupted   Lotys,   as   the 

7 


98  "Temporal  Power' 

door  of  the  room  opened,  and  a  man  entered,  bearing  a 
tray  loaded  with  various  eatables,  jugs  of  beer,  and  bottles 
of  spirituous  liquors,  — "  Protest  as  much  as  you  like 
then,  —  but  not  just  now  !  " 

And  with  quick,  deft  hands  she  helped  to  set  the  board. 
None  of  the  men  offered  to  assist  her,  and  Leroy  watching 
her,  felt  a  sudden  sense  of  annoyance  that  this  woman 
should  seem,  even  for  a  moment,  to  be  in  the  position  of  a 
servant  to  them  all. 

"  Can  I  do  nothing  for  you?  "  he  said,  in  a  low  tone  — 
"  Why  should  you  wait  upon  us?  " 

'  Why  indeed  !  "  she  answered  —  "  Except  that  you  are 
all  by  nature  awkward,  and  do  not  know  how  to  wait 
properly  upon  yourselves  !  " 

Her  eyes  had  a  gleam  of  mischievous  mockery  in  them  ; 
and  Leroy  was  conscious  of  an  irritation  which  he  could 
scarcely  explain  to  himself.  Decidedly,  he  thought,  this 
Lotys  was  an  unpleasant  woman.  She  was  '  extremely 
plain,'  so  he  mentally  declared,  in  a  kind  of  inward  huff, 
-  though  he  was  bound  to  concede  that  now  and  then 
she  had  a  very  beautiful,  almost  inspired  expression. 
After  all,  why  should  she  not  set  out  jugs  and  bottles,  and 
loaves  of  bread,  and  hunks  of  ham  and  cheese  before 
these  men  ?  She  was  probably  in  their  pay !  Scarcely 
had  this  idea  flashed  across  his  mind  than  he  was  ashamed 
of  it.  This  Lotys,  whoever  she  might  actually  be,  was  no 
paid  hireling ;  there  was  something  in  her  every  look  and 
action  that  set  her  high  above  any  suspicion  that  she  would 
accept  the  part  of  a  salaried  comedienne  in  the  Socialist 
farce.  Annoyed  with  himself,  though  he  knew  not  why, 
he  turned  his  gaze  from  her  to  the  man  who  had  brought 
in  the  supper,  —  a  hunchback,  who,  notwithstanding  his 
deformity,  was  powerfully  built,  and  of  a  countenance 
which,  marked  as  it  was  with  the  drawn  pathetic  look  of 
long-continued  physical  suffering,  was  undeniably  hand- 
some. His  large  brown  eyes,  like  those  of  a  faithful  dog, 
followed  every  movement  of  Lotys  with  anxious  and 
wistful  affection,  and  Leroy,  noticing  this,  began  to  won- 
der whether  she  was  his  wife  or  daughter?  Or  was  she 
related  in  either  of  these  ways  to  Sergius  Thord?  His 
reflections  were  interrupted  by  a  slight  touch  from  Max 
Graub  who  was  seated  next  to  him. 


The  Idealists  99 

"  Will  you  drink  with  these  fellows  ?  "  said  Graub,  in  a 
cautions  whisper  —  "  Expect  to  be  ill,  if  you  do !  " 

"  You  shall  prescribe  for  me!  "  answered  Leroy  in  the 
same  low  tone  —  "I  faithfully  promise  to  call  in  your 
assistance!     But  drink  with  them  I  must,  and  will!  " 

Graub  g'ave  a  short  sigh  and  a  shrug,  and  said  no  more. 
The  hunchback  was  going  the  round  of  the  table,  filling 
tall  glasses  with  light  Bavarian  beer. 

"  Where  is  the  little  Pecpiita?  "  asked  Zouche,  address- 
ing him  —  "  Have  you  sent  her  to  bed  already,  Sholto?  ' 

Sholto  looked  timorously  round  till  he  met  the 
bright  reassuring  glance  of  Lotys,  and  then  he  replied 
hesitatingly  — 

"  Yes  !  —  no I  have  not  sent  the  little  one  to  bed  ; 

—  she  returned  from  her  work  at  the  theatre,  tired  out  — 
quite  tired  out,  poor  child !    She  is  asleep  now." 

"  Ha  ha !  A  few  years  more,  and  she  will  not  sleep !  " 
said  Zouche  —  "  Once  in  her  teens " 

"  Once  in  her  teens,  she  leaves  the  theatre  and  comes 
to  me,"  said  Lotys,  "  And  you  will  see  very  little  of  her, 
Zouche,  and  you  will  know  less !  That  will  do,  Sholto ! 
Good-night !  " 

"Good-night!''  returned  the  hunchback  —  "I  thank 
you,  Madame!  —  I  thank  you,  gentlemen!  ' 

And  with  a  slight  salutation,  not  devoid  of  grace,  he 
left  the  room. 

Zouche  was  sulky,  and  pushing  aside  his  glass  of  beer, 
poured  out  for  himself  some  strong  spirit  from  a  bottle 
instead. 

"  You  do  not  favour  me  to-night,  Lotys,"  he  said  irri- 
tably — "  You  interrupt  and  cross  me  in  everything  I 
say  ! 

"  Is  it  not  a  woman's  business  to  interrupt  and  cross  a 
man?"  queried  Lotys,  with  a  laugh,  —  "As  I  have  told 
you  before,  Zouche,  I  will  not  have  Sholto  worried !  v 

"  Who  worries  him?  "  grumbled  Zouche  —  "  Not  I !  '' 

"  Yes,  you !  —  you  worry  him  on  his  most  sensitive 
point  —  his  daughter,"  said  Lotys  ;  —  "  Why  can  you  not 
leave  the  child  alone?  Sholto  is  an  Englishman,"  she 
explained,  turning  to  Pasquin  Leroy  and  his  companions 
-  "  His  history  is  a  strange  one  enough.  He  is  the  right- 
ful heir  to  a  large  estate  in  England,  but  he  was  born 


ioo  "Temporal  Power' 

deformed.  His  father  hated  him,  and  preferred  the 
second  son,  who  was  straight  and  handsome.  So  Sholto 
disappeared." 

'  Disappeared !  ':    echoed    Leroy  —  "  You   mean " 

"  I  mean  that  he  left  his  father's  house  one  morning, 
and  never  returned.  The  clothes  he  wore  were  found 
floating  in  the  river  near  by,  and  it  was  concluded  that  he 
had  been  drowned  while  bathing.  The  second  son,  there- 
fore, inherited  the  property  ;  and  poor  Sholto  was  scarcely 
missed ;  certainly  not  mourned.  Meanwhile  he  went 
away,  and  got  on  board  a  Spanish  trading  boat  bound  for 
Cadiz.  At  Cadiz  he  found  work,  and  also  something  that 
sweetened  work  —  love !  He  married  a  pretty  Spanish 
girl  who  adored  him,  and — as  often  happens  when  lovers 
rejoice  too  much  in  their  love  —  she  died  after  a  year's 
happiness.  Sholto  is  all  alone  in  the  world  with  the  little 
child  his  Spanish  wife  left  him,  Pequita.  She  is  only 
eleven  years  old,  but  her  gift  of  dancing  is  marvellous, 
and  she  gets  employment  at  one  of  the  cheap  theatres 
here.  If  an  influential  manager  could  see  her  perform- 
ance, she  might  coin  money." 

'  The  influential  manager  would  probably  cheat  her," 
said  Zouche,  —  "  Things  are  best  left  alone.  Sholto  is 
content !  " 

"  Are  you  content?  "  asked  Johan  Zegota,  helping  him- 
self from  the  bottle  that  stood  near  him. 

'  I  ?    Why,  no !    I  should  not  be  here  if  I  were !  " 

"  Discontent,  then,  is  your  chief  bond  of  union  ?  "  said 
Axel  Regor,  beginning  to  take  part  in  the  conversation. 

'  It  is  the  very  knot  that  ties  us  all  together !  "  said 
Zouche  with  enthusiasm.  —  "  Discontent  is  the  mother  of 
progress !  Adam  was  discontented  with  the  garden  of 
Eden,  —  and  found  a  whole  world  outside  its  gates !  " 

'  He  took  Eve  with  him  to  keep  up  the  sickness  of  dis- 
satisfaction," said  Zegota ;  '  There  would  certainly  have 
been  no  progress  without  her!  " 

"  Pardon,  —  Cain  was  the  true  Progressivist  and  Re- 
former," put  in  Graub ;  "  Some  fine  sentiment  of  the 
garden  of  Eden  was  in  his  blood,  which  impelled  him  to 
offer  up  a  vegetable  sacrifice  to  the  Deity,  whereas  Abel 
had  already  committed  murder  by  slaying  lambs.  Ac- 
cording to  the  legend,  God  preferred  the  '  savour  '  of  the 


The  Idealists  iot 

lambs,  so  perhaps,  —  who  knows  !  —  the  idea  that  the 
savour  of  Abel  might  be  equally  agreeable  to  Divine 
senses  induced  Cain  to  kill  him  as  a  special  '  young- 
ling.' This  was  a  Progressive  act,  —  a  step  beyond  mere 
lambs !  " 

Everyone  laughed,  except  Sergius  Thord.  Tie  had 
fallen  into  a  heavy,  brooding  silence,  his  head  sunk  on 
his  breast,  his  wild  hair  falling  forward  like  a  mane,  and 
his  right  hand  clenched  and  resting  on  the  table. 

"  Sergius!  "  called  Lotys. 

He  did  not  answer. 

'  He  is  in  one  of  his  far-away  moods,"  —  said  one  of  the 
men  next  to  Axel  Regor,  —  "  It  is  best  not  to  disturb 
him." 

Paul  Zouche,  however,  had  no  such  scruples.  "  Ser- 
gius! "  he  cried,  —  "  Come  out  of  your  cloud  of  medita- 
tion !    Drink  to  the  health  of  our  three  new  comrades !  " 

All  the  members  of  the  company  filled  their  glasses,  and 
Thord,  hearing  the  noise  and  clatter,  looked  up  with  a 
wild  stare. 

'  What  are  you  doing  ?  "  he  asked  slowly ;  —  "I 
thought  some  one  spoke  of  Cain  killing  Abel!'1 

'It  was  I,"  said  Graub  —  "I  spoke  of  it  —  irrever- 
ently, I  fear,  —  but  the  story  itself  is  irreverent.  The 
notion  that  '  God,'  should  like  roast  meat  is  the  height  of 
blasphemy !  " 

Zouche  burst  into  a  violent  fit  of  laughter.  But 
Thord  went  on  talking  in  a  low  tone,  as  though  to 
himself. 

"  Cain  killing  Abel !  ''  he  repeated  —  "  Always  the 
same  horrible  story  is  repeated  through  history  —  brother 

against  brother, — blood   crying  out   for   blood life 

torn  from  the  weak  and  helpless  body  —  all  for  what? 
For  a  little  gold,  —  a  passing  trifle  of  power!  Cain  kill- 
ing Abel !  My  God,  art  Thou  not  yet  weary  of  the  old 
eternal  crime!  " 

He  spoke  in  a  semi-whisper  which  thrilled  through  the 
room.  A  momentary  hush  prevailed,  and  then  Lotys 
called  again,  her  voice  softened  to  a  caressing  sweetness. 
Sergius ! 

He  started,  and  shook  himself  out  of  his  reverie  this 
time.     Raising  his  hand,  he  passed  it  in  a  vague  mechani- 


102         "Temporal  Power" 

cal  way  across  his  brow  as  though  suddenly  wakened 
from  a  dream. 

"  Yes,  yes !  Let  us  drink  to  our  three  new  comrades," 
he  said,  and  rose  to  his  feet.  "  To  your  health,  friends ! 
And  may  you  all  stand  firm  in  the  hour  of  trial !  " 

All  the  company  sprang  up  and  drained  their  glasses, 
and  when  the  toast  was  drunk  and  they  were  again 
seated,  Pasquin  Leroy  asked  if  he  might  be  allowed  to 
return  thanks. 

'  I  do  not  know,"  he  said  with  a  courteous  air, 
"  whether  it  is  permissible  for  a  newly-enrolled  associate 
of  this  Brotherhood  to  make  a  speech  on  the  first  night  of 
his  membership,  —  but  after  the  cordial  welcome  I  and 
my  comrades,  strangers  as  we  are,  have  received  at  your 
hands,  I  should  like  to  say  a  few  words  —  if,  without 
breaking  any  rules  of  the  Order,  I  may  do  so." 

'  Hear,  hear !  "  shouted  Zouche,  who  had  been  steadily 
drinking  for  the  last  few  moments,  — ■  "  Speak  on,  man ! 
Whoever  heard  of  a  dumb  Socialist !  Rant  —  rant !  Rant 
and  rave !  —  as  I  do,  when  the  fit  is  on  me !  Do  I  not, 
Thord  ?    Do  I  not  move  you  even  to  tears  ?  " 

"  And  laughter!  "  put  in  Zegota.  "  Hold  your  tongue, 
Zouche !  No  other  man  can  talk  at  all,  if  you  once 
begin !  " 

Zouche  laughed,  and  drained  his  glass. 

"  True !  —  my  genius  is  of  an  absorbing  quality !  Si- 
lence, gentlemen  !  Silence  for  our  new  comrade !  '  Pas- 
quin '  stands  for  the  beginning  of  a  jest  —  so  we  may 
hope  he  will  be  amusing,  — '  Leroy  '  stands  for  the  king, 
and  so  we  may  expect  him  to  be  non-political !  " 


CHAPTER    VIII 


THE    KING'S   DOUBLE 


AS  Leroy  rose  to  speak,  there  was  a  little  commotion. 
Max'  Graub  upset  his  glass,  and  seemed  to  be 
having  a  struggle  under  the  table  with  Axel  Regor. 

"  What  ails  you?  "  said  Leroy,  glancing  at  his  friends 
with  an  amazed  air  —  "Are  you  quarrelling?" 

"Quarrelling!"  echoed  Max  Graub,  "Why,  no  —  but 
what  man  will  have  his  beer  upset  without  complaint? 
Tell  me  that !  " 

"  You  upset  it!  "  said  Regor  angrily  —  "  I  did  not." 

"  You  did !  "  retorted  Graub,  "  and  because  I  pushed 
you  for  it,  you  showed  me  a  pistol  in  your  pocket!  I 
object  to  be'  shown  a  pistol.  So  I  have  taken  it  away. 
Here  it  is!  "  and  he  laid  the  weapon  on  the  table  in  front 
of  him. 

A  look  of  anger  darkened  Leroy's  brows. 

"  I  was  not  aware  you  carried  arms,"  he  said  coldly. 

Sergius  Thord  noticed  his  annoyance. 

"  There  is  nothing  remarkable  in  that,  my  friend !  "  he 
interposed  —  "  We  all  carry  arms,  —  there  is  not  one  of 
us  at  this  table  who  has  not  a  loaded  pistol,  —  even  Lotys 
is  no  exception  to  this  rule." 

"  Now  by  my  word!  "  said  Graub,  "  /  have  no  loaded 
pistol,  —  and  I  will  swear  Leroy  is  equally  unarmed !  ": 

"  Entirely  so!  "  said  Leroy  quietly —  '  I  never  suspect 
any  man  of  evil  intentions  towards  me." 

As  he  said  this,  Lotys  leaned  forward  impulsively  and 
stretched  out  her  hand,  —  a  beautiful  hand,  well-shaped 
and  white  as  a  white  rose  petal. 

"  I  like  you  for  that !  "  —  she  said  — ■ "  It  is  the  natural 
attitude  of  a  brave  man  !  " 

A  slight  colour  warmed  his  bronzed  skin  as  he  took  her 
hand,  pressed  it  gently,  and  let  it  go  again.  Axel  Regor 
looked  up  defiantly. 


104         "Temporal  Power' 

'  Well,  I  do  suspect  every  man  of  evil  intentions !  "  he 
said,  "  So  you  may  all  just  as  well  know  the  worst  of  me 
at  once !  My  experience  of  life  has  perhaps  been  excep- 
tionally unpleasant ;  but  it  has  taught  me  that  as  a  rule  no 
man  is  your  friend  till  you  have  made  it  worth  his  while ! " 

"  By  favours  bestowed,  or  favours  to  come?"  queried 
Thord,    smiling,  — "  However,    without    any    argument, 
Axel  Regor,  I  am  inclined  to  think  you  are  right !  '' 
'  Then  a  weapon  is  permissible  here  ?  "  asked  Graub. 

''  Not  only  permissible,  but  necessary,"  replied  Thord. 
"  As  members  of  this  Brotherhood  we  live  always  pre- 
pared for  some  disaster,  —  always  on  our  guard  against 
treachery.  Comrades !  "  and  raising  his  voice  he  ad- 
dressed the  whole  party.  "  Lay  down  your  arms,  all  at 
once  and  together!  " 

In  one  instant,  as  if  in  obedience  to  a  military  order, 
the  table  was  lined  on  either  side  with  pistols.  Beside 
these  weapons,  there  was  a  goodly  number  of  daggers, 
chiefly  of  the  small  kind  such  as  are  used  in  Corsica,  en- 
cased in  leather  sheaths.  Pasquin  Leroy  smiled  as  he 
saw  Lotys  lay  down  one  of  those  tiny  but  deadly  weapons, 
together  with  a  small  silver-mounted  pistol. 

'  Forewarned  is  forearmed  !  "  he  said  gaily  ;  —  "  Ma- 
dame, if  I  ever  offend,  I  shall  look  to  you  for  a  happy 
dispatch !  Gentlemen,  I  have  still  to  make  my  speech, 
and  if  you  permit  it,  I  will  speak  now,  —  unarmed  as  I 
am,  —  with  all  these  little  metal  mouths  ready  to  deal 
death  upon  me  if  I  happen  to  make  any  observation  which 
may  displease  you !  " 

"By  Heaven!  A  brave  man!"  cried  Zouche;  "Thord, 
you  have  picked  up  a  trump  card !  Speak,  Pasquin  Le- 
roy !    We  will  forgive  you,  even  if  you  praise  the  King !  " 

Leroy  stood  silent  for  a  moment,  as  if  thinking.  His 
two  companions  looked  up  at  him  once  or  twice  in  un- 
questionable alarm  and  wonderment,  but  he  did  not 
appear  to  be  conscious  of  their  observation.  On  the 
contrary,  some  very  deeply  seated  feeling  seemed  to  be 
absorbing  his  soul,  —  and  it  was  perhaps  this  suppressed 
emotion  which  gave  such  a  rich  vibrating  force  to  his 
accents  when  he  at  last  spoke. 

'  Friends  and  Brothers  !  "  he  said  ;  —  "It  is  difficult 
for  one  who  has  never  experienced  the  three-fold  sense 


JThe  King's  Double  105 


of  Liberty,  Equality  and  Fraternity  until  to-night,  to 
express  in  the  right  manner  the  sense  of  gratitude  which 
I,  a  complete  stranger  to  you,  feel  for  the  readiness 
and  cordiality  of  the  welcome  you  have  extended  to  me 
and  my  companions,  accepting  us  without  hesitation,  as 
members  of  your  Committee,  and  as  associates  in  the  work 
of  the  Cause  you  have  determined  to  maintain.  It  is  an 
Ideal  Cause,  —  I  need  not  tell  you  that !  To  rescue  and 
protect  the  poor  from  the  tyranny  of  the  rich  and  strong, 
was  the  mission  of  Christ  when  He  visited  this  earth ;  and 
it  would  perhaps  be  unwise  on  my  part,  and  discouraging 
to  yourselves,  to  remind  you  that  even  He  has  failed ! 
The  strong,  the  selfish,  and  the  cruel,  still  delight  in  op- 
pressing their  more  helpless  fellows,  despite  the  theories 
of  Christianity.  And  it  is  perfectly  natural  that  it 
should  be  so,  seeing  that  the  Christian  Church  itself  has 
become  a  mere  system  of  money-making  and  self-ad- 
vancement." 

A  burst  of  applause  interrupted  him.  Eyes  lightened 
with  eager  enthusiasm,  and  every  face  was  turned  towards 
him.     He  went  on  :  — 

'  To  think  of  the  great  Founder  of  a  great  Creed,  and 
then  to  consider  what  his  pretended  followers  have  made 
of  Him  and  His  teaching,  is  sufficient  to  fill  the  soul  with 
the  sickness  of  despair  and  humiliation !  To  remember 
that  Christ  came  to  teach  all  men  the  Gospel  of  love,  — 
and  to  find  them  after  eighteen  hundred  years  still  pre- 
ferring the  Gospel  of  hate,- — is  enough  to  make  one  doubt 
the  truth  of  religion  altogether !  The  Divine  Socialist 
preached  a  creed  too  good  and  pure  for  this  world ;  and 
when  we  try  to  follow  it,  we  are  beaten  back  on  all  sides 
by  the  false  conventionalities  and  customs  of  a  sacerdotal 
system  grown  old  in  self-seeking,  not  in  self-sacrifice. 
Were  Christ  to  come  again,  the  first  thing  He  would 
probably  do  would  be  to  destroy  all  the  churches,  saying : 
'  I  never  knew  you :  depart  from  me  ye  that  work  in- 
iquity!' But  till  He  does  come  again,  it  rests  with  the 
thinkers  of  the  time  to  protest  against  wrongs  and  abuses, 
even  if  they  cannot  destroy  them,  —  to  expose  falsehood, 
even  if  they  cannot  utterly  undo  its  vicious  work.  Seeing, 
however,  that  the  greater  majority  of  men  are  banded  on 
the  side  of  wealth  and  material  self-interest,  it  is  unfortu- 


106  "Temporal  Power' 

nately  only  a  few  who  remain  to  work  for  the  cause  of  the 
poor,  and  for  such  equal  rights  of  justice  as  you  —  as  we 
—  in  our  present  Association  claim  to  be  most  worthy  of 
man's  best  efforts.  It  may  be  asked  by  those  outside  such 
a  Fraternity  as  ours,  —  '  What  do  they  want  ?  What 
would  they  have  that  they  cannot  obtain  ? '  I  would 
answer  that  we  want  to  see  the  end  of  a  political  system 
full  of  bribery  and  corruption,  —  that  we  desire  the  dis- 
grace and  exposure  of  such  men  as  those,  who,  under  the 
pretence  of  serving  the  country,  merely  line  their  own 
coffers  out  of  the  taxes  they  inflict  upon  the  people ;  — 
and  that  if  we  see  a  king  inclined  to  favour  the  overbear- 
ing dominance  of  a  political  party  governed  by  financial 
considerations  alone,  —  a  party  which  has  no  considera- 
tion for  the  wider  needs  of  the  whole  nation,  we  from  our 
very  hearts  and  souls  desire  the  downfall  of  that  king! ': 

A  low,  deep  murmur  responded  to  his  words,  —  a 
sound  like  the  snarl  of  wolves,  deep,  fierce,  and  passion- 
ate. A  close  observer  might  perhaps  have  detected  a 
sudden  pallor  on  Leroy's  face  as  he  heard  this  ominous 
growl,  and  an  involuntary  clenching  of  the  hand  on  the 
part  of  Axel  Regor.     Max  Graub  looked  up. 

"Ah  so,  my  friends!     You  hate  the  King?" 

No  answer  was  vouchsafed  to  this  query.  The  inter- 
ruption was  evidently  unwelcome,  all  eyes  being  still  fixed 
on  Leroy.     He  went  on  tranquilly : 

"  I  repeat  —  that  wherever  and  whenever  a  king  —  any 
king  —  voluntarily  and  knowingly,  supports  iniquity  and 
false  dealing  in  his  ministers,  he  lays  himself  open  to 
suspicion,  attack,  and  dethronement !  I  speak  with  par- 
ticular feeling  on  this  point,  because,  apart  from  whatever 
may  be  the  thoughts  and  opinions  of  these  who  are  as- 
sembled here  to-night,  I  have  a  special  reason  of  my  own 
for  hating  the  King !  That  reason  is  marked  on  my  coun- 
tenance !  I  bear  an  extraordinary  resemblance  to  him,  — 
so  great  indeed,  that  I  might  be  taken  for  his  twin  brother 
if  he  had  one !  And  I  beg  of  you,  my  friends,  to  look  at 
me  long  and  well,  that  you  make  no  error  concerning  me, 
for,  being  now  your  comrade,  I  do  not  wish  to  be  mis- 
taken for  your  enemy  !  " 

He  drew  himself  up,  lifting  his  head  with  an  air  of  in- 
domitable pride  and  grace  which  well  became  him.     An 


The  King's  Double  107 

exclamation  of  surprise  broke  from  all  present,  and  Ser- 
gius  Thord  bent  forward  to  examine  bis  features  with 
close  attention.  Every  man  at  the  table  did  the  same,  but 
none  regarded  him  more  earnestly  or  more  searchinglv 
than  Lotys.  Her  wonderful  eyes  seemed  to  glow  and 
burn  witli  strange  interior  fires,  as  she  kept  them  steadily 
fixed  upon  his  face. 

"  Yes  —  you  are  strangely  like  the  King!  "  she  said  - 
"  That  is,  —  so  far  as  I  am  able  to  judge  by  his  portraits 
and  coins.     I  have  never  seen  him." 

"I  have  seen  him,"  -said  Sergius  Thord,  "though 
only  at  a  distance.  And  I  wonder  1  did  not  notice  the 
strange  resemblance  you  bear  to  him  before  you  called 
my  attention  to  it.     Are  you  in  any  way  related  to  him  ?  ' 

"Related  to  him!"  Leroy  laughed  aloud.  'No!  If 
the  late  King  had  any  bastard  sons,  I  am  not  one  of  them ! 
But  I  pray  you  again  all  to  carefully  note  this  hateful 
resemblance,  —  a  resemblance  I  would  fain  rid  me  of  — 
for  it  makes  me  seem  a  living  copy  of  the  man  I  most 
despise !  " 

There  was  a  pause,  —  during  which  he  stood  quietly, 
submitting  himself  to  the  fire  of  a  hundred  wondering, 
questioning,  and  inquisitorial  eyes  without  flinching. 

"You  are  all  satisfied?"  he  then  asked;  'You,  Ser- 
gius Thord,  —  my  chief  and  commander,  —  you,  and  all 
here  present  are  satisfied  ?  " 

"  Satisfied  ?  —  Yes  !  "  replied  Thord  ;  '  But  sorry  that 
your  personality  resembles  that  of  a  fool  and  a  knave !  ' 

A  strange  grimace  distorted  the  countenance  of  Max 
Graub,  but  he  quickly  buried  his  nose  and  his  expression 
together  in  a  foaming  glass  of  beer. 

"  You  cannot  be  so  sorry  for  me  as  T  am  for  myself!  ' 
said  Leroy,  "  And  now  to  finish  the  few  words  I  have 
been  trying  to  say.  I  thank  you  from  my  heart  for  your 
welcome,  and  for  the  trust  you  have  reposed  in  me  and 
my  companions.  I  am  proud  to  be  one  of  you  ;  and  I 
promise  that  you  shall  all  have  reason  to  be  glad  that  T 
am  associated  with  your  Cause!  And  to  prove  my  good 
faith,  I  undertake  to  set  about  working  for  you  without 
a  day's  delay;  and  towards  this  object,  I  give  you  my 
word  that  before  our  next  meeting  something  shall  be 
done  to  shake  the  political  stronghold  of  Carl  Perousse ! '' 


108  "Temporal  Power' 

Sergius  Thord  sprang  up  excitedly. 

"  Do  that,"  he  said,  "  and  were  you  a  thousand  times 
more  like  the  King  than  you  are,  you  shall  he  the  first  to 
command  our  service  and  honour!  " 

Loud  acclamation  followed  his  words,  and  all  the  men 
gathered  close  up  about  Leroy.  He  looked  round  upon 
them,  half-smiling,  half-serious. 

"  But  you  must  tell  me  what  to  do!  "  he  said.  '  You 
must  explain  to  me  why  you  consider  Perousse  a  traitor, 
and  how  you  think  it  best  his  treachery  should  be  proved. 
For,  remember,  I  am  a  stranger  to  this  part  of  the 
country,  and  my  accidental  resemblance  to  the  King  does 
not  make  me  his  subject !  " 

"  True!  "  said  Paul  Zouche,  — his  eyes  were  feverishly 
bright  and  his  cheeks  flushed  —  "  To  be  personally  like 
a  liar  does  not  oblige  one  to  tell  lies !  To  call  oneself  a 
poet  does  not  enable  one  to  write  poetry !  And  to  build 
a  cathedral  does  not  make  one  a  saint !  To  know  all  the 
highways  and  byways  of  the  Perousse  policy,  you  must 
penetrate  into  the  depths  and  gutter-slushes  of  the  great 
.newspaper  which  is  subsidised  by  the  party  to  that  policy ! 
And  this  is  difficult  —  exceedingly  difficult,  let  me  assure 
you,  my  bold  Pasquin !  And  if  you  can  perform  such  a 
'  pasquinade  '  as  shall  take  you  into  these  Holy  of  Holy 
purlieus  of  mischief  and  money-making,  you  will  deserve 
to  be  chief  of  the  Committee,  instead  of  Sergius !  Ser- 
gius talks  —  he  will  talk  your  head  off !  —  but  he  does 
nothing!  " 

"I  do  what  I  can,"  —  said  Thord,  patiently.  'It  is 
true  I  have  no  access  to  the  centres  of  diplomacy  or 
journalism.  But  I  hold  the  People  in  the  hollow  of  my 
hand !  " 

He  spoke  with  deep  and  concentrated  feeling,  and  the 
power  of  his  soul  looked  out  eloquently  from  the  darken- 
ing flash  of  his  eyes.  Leroy  studied  his  features  with 
undisguised  interest. 

"  If  you  thus  hold  the  People,"  he  said,  —  "Why  not 
bid  them  rise  against  the  evil  and  tyranny  of  which  they 
have  cause  to  complain  ?  " 

Thord  shook  his  head. 

"  To  rouse  the  People,"  he  replied,  "  would  be  worse 
than  to  rouse  a  herd  of  starving  lions  from  their  forest 


The  King's  Double  109 

dens,  and  give  them  freedom  to  slay  and  devour!  Nay! 
—  the  time  is  not  yet !  All  gentle  means  must  be  tried ; 
and  if  these  fail  —  why  then !" 

He  broke  off,  but  his  clenched  hand,  and  expressive 
glance  said  the  rest. 

"  Why  do  you  not  use  the  most  powerful  of  all  the 
weapons  ever  invented  for  the  destruction  of  one's  ene- 
mies—  the  Pen?"  asked  Max  Graub.  "Start  a  news- 
paper, for  example,  and  gibbet  your  particular  favourite 
Carl  Perousse  therein  !  " 

"  Bah !  He  would  get  up  a  libel  case,  and  advertise 
himself  a  little  more  by  that  method !  "  said  Zegota  con- 
temptuously ;  "  And  besides,  a  newspaper  needs  unlim- 
ited capital  behind  it.     We  have  no  rich  friends." 

"  Rich  friends  !  "  exclaimed  Lotys  suddenly  ;  '  Who 
speaks  of  them  —  who  needs  them  ?  Rich  friends  expect 
you  to  toady  to  them ;  to  lick  the  ground  under  their  feet ; 
to  fawn  and  flatter  and  lie,  and  be  anything  but  honest 
men  !  The  rich  are  the  vulgar  of  this  world  ;  ■ —  no  one 
who  has  heart,  or  soul,  or  sense,  would  condescend  to 
seek  friendships  among  those  whose  only  claim  to  prece- 
dence is  the  possession  of  a  little  more  yellow  metal  than 
their  neighbours." 

"  Nevertheless,  they  and  their  yellow  metal  are  the  raw 
material,  which  Genius  may  as  well  use  to  pave  its  way 
through  life,"  said  Zegota.  "  Lotys,  you  are  too  much  of 
an  idealist !  " 

'  Idealist !  And  you  call  yourself  a  realist,  poor  child  !" 
said  Lotys  with  a  laugh  ;  "  I  tell  you  I  would  sooner  starve 
than  accept  favour  or  assistance  from  the  merely  rich !  " 

"  Of  course  you  would !  "  said  Zouche,  "  And  is  not 
that  precisely  the  reason  why  you  are  set  in  dominion 
over  us  all  ?  We  men  are  not  sure  of  ourselves  —  but  — 
Heaven  knows  why!  —  we  are  sure  of  You!  I  suppose 
it  is  because  you  are  sure  of  yourself !  For  example,  we 
men  are  such  wretched  creatures  that  we  cannot  go  long 
without  our  food,  —  but  you,  woman,  can  fast  all  day, 
and  scorn  the  very  idea  of  hunger.  We  men  cannot  bear 
much  pain,  —  but  you,  —  woman,  —  can  endure  suffer- 
ing of  your  own  without  complaint,  while  attending  to 
our  various  lesser  hurts  and  scratches.  Wherefore,  just 
because  we  feel  you  are  above  us  in  this  and  many  other 


no  "Temporal  Power' 

things,  we  have  set  you  amongst  us  as  a  warning  Figure- 
head, which  cries  shame  upon  us  if  we  falter,  and  reminds 
us  that  you,  a  woman,  can  do,  and  probably  will  do,  what 
we  men  cannot.  Imagine  it !  You  would  bear  all  things 
for  love's  sake !  —  and,  frankly  speaking,  we  would  bear 
nothing  at  all,  except  for  our  own  immediate  and  par- 
ticular pleasure.  For  that,  of  course,  we  would  endure 
everything  till  we  got  it,  and  then  —  pouf !  - —  we  would 
let  it  go  again  in  sheer  weariness  and.  desire  for  some- 
thing else  !     Is  it  not  so,  Sergius  ?  " 

"  I  am  glad  you  know  yourself  so  well !  "  said  Thord 
gloomily.  "  Personally,  I  am  not  prepared  to  accept  your 
theory." 

"  Men  are  children!  "  said  Lotys,  still  smiling;  ''  And 
should  be  treated  as  children  always,  by  women !  Come, 
little  ones !  To  bed,  all  of  you !  It  is  growing  late,  and 
the  rain  has  ceased." 

She  went  to  the  window,  and  unbarring  the  shutters, 
opened  it.  The  streets  were  wet  and  glistening  below, 
but  the  clouds  had  cleared,  and  a  pale  watery  moon  shone 
out  fitfully  from  the  misty  sky. 

"Say  good-night,  and  part ;  "  she  continued.  "It  is 
time !  This  day  month  we  will  meet  here  again,  —  and 
our  new  comrades  will  then  report  what  progress  they 
have  made  in  the  matter  of  Carl  Perousse." 

'  Tell  me,"  said  Leroy,  approaching  her,  "  What  would 
you  do,  Madame,  if  you  had  determined  on  proving  the 
corruption  and  falsehood  of  this  at  present  highly-hon- 
oured servant  of  the  State?  " 

"  I  should  gain  access  to  his  chief  tool,  David  Jost,  by 
means  of  the  Prime  Minister's  signet,"  said  Lotys,  —  "  If 
I  could  get  the  signet!  —  which  I  cannot!  Nor  can  you! 
But  if  I  could,  I  should  persuade  Jost  to  talk  freely,  and 
so  betray  himself.  He  and  Carl  Perousse  move  the  Pre- 
mier and  the  King  whichever  way  they  please." 

"  Ts  that  so  —  ?  "  began  Leroy,  when  he  was  answered 
by  a  dozen  voices  at  once :  — 

"  The  King  is  a  fool !  " 

"  The  King  is  a  slave  !  " 

"  The  King  accepts  everything  that  is  set  before  him  as 
being  rightly  and  wisely  ordained,  —  and  never  enquires 
into  the  justice  of  what  is  done!  " 


The  King's  Double 


iii 


"  The  King  assumes  to  be  the  friend  of  the  People,  but 
if  you  ask  him  to  do  anything  for  the  People,  you  only 
get  the  secretary's  usual  answer  — '  His  Majesty  regrets 
that  it  is  impossible  to  take  any  action  in  the  matter  '!  " 

'  Wait !  —  wait !  —  "  said  Leroy,  with  a  gesture  which 
called  for  a  moment's  silence ;  "  The  question  is,  —  Could 
the  King  do  anything  if  he  would  ?  ^ 

'  I  will  answer  that !  "  said  Lotys,  her  eyes  flashing,  her 
bosom  heaving,  and  her  whole  figure  instinct  with  pride 
and  passion;  'The  King  could  do  everything!  The 
King  could  be  a  man  if  he  chose,  instead  of  a  dummy ! 
The  King  could  cease  to  waste  his  time  on  fools  and  light 
women !  —  and  though  he  is,  and  must  be  a  constitutional 
Monarch,  he  could  so  rule  all  social  matters  as  to  make 
them  the  better,  —  not  the  worse  for  his  influence!  There 
is  nothing  to  prevent  the  King  from  doing  his  most  kinglv 
duty!" 

Leroy  looked  at  her  for  a  moment  in  silence. 

"  Madame,  if  the  King  heard  your  words  he  might  per- 
haps regret  his  many   follies !  "   he  said  courteously :  — 
'  But  where  Society  is  proved  worse,  instead  of  better 
for  a   king's   influence,   is   it   not   somewhat   too   late   to 
remedy  the  evil?     What  of  the  Queen?" 

'  The  Queen  is  queen  from  necessity,  not  from  choice!" 
said  Lotys  ;  —  "  She  has  never  loved  her  husbaijd.  If  she 
had  loved  him,  perhaps  he  might,  —  through  her,  —  have 
loved  his  people  more !  " 

There  was  a  note  of  pathos  in  her  voice  that  was  singu- 
larly tender  and  touching.  Anon,  as  if  impatient  with 
herself,  she  turned  to  Sergius  Thord. 

'  We  must  disperse !  "  she  said  abruptly  ;  "  Daybreak 
will  be  upon  us  before  we  know  it,  and  we  have  done  no 
business  at  all  this  evening.  To  enrol  three  new  associ- 
ates is  a  matter  of  fifteen  minutes ;  the  rest  of  our  time 
has  been  wasted !  " 

'  Do  not  say  so,  Madame !  "  interposed  Max  Graub, 
'  You  have  three  new  friends  —  three  new  '  sons  of  your 
blood,'  as  you  so  poetically  call  them,  —  though,  truly,  I 
for  one  am  more  fit  to  be  your  grandfather !  And  do  you 
consider  the  time  wasted  that  has  been  spent  in  improving 
and  instructing  your  newly-born  children?" 

Lotys  turned  upon  him  with  a  look  of  disdain. 


ft 


112  "Temporal  Power 

'You  are  a  would-be  jester;"  she  said  coldly;  "Old 
men  love  a  jest,  I  know,  but  they  should  take  care  to  make 
it  at  the  right  time,  and  in  the  right  place.  They  should 
not  play  with  edge-tools  such  as  I  am,  though  I  suppose, 
being  a  German,  you  think  little  or  nothing  of  women  ?  ,: 
'Madame!"  protested  Graub,  'I  think  so  much  of 
women  that  I  have  never  married !  Behold  me,  an  un- 
happy bachelor !  I  have  spared  any  one  of  your  beautiful 
sex  from  the  cruel  martyrdom  of  having  to  endure  my 
life-long  company !  " 

She  laughed  —  a  pretty  low  laugh,  and  extended  her 
hand  with  an  air  of  queenly  condescension. 

'You  are  amusing!"  she  said,  —  "And  so  I  will  not 
quarrel  with  you  !     Good-night !  " 

"  Auf  weidersehn !  "  and  Graub  kissed  the  white  hand 
he  held.  '  I  shall  hope  you  will  command  me  to  be  of 
service  to  you  and  yours,  ere  long!  " 

'In  what  way,  I  wonder,"  she  asked  dubiously; 
'  What  can  you  do  best  ?  Write  ?  Speak  ?  Or  or- 
ganize meetings  ?  " 

'  I  think,"  said  Graub,  speaking  very  deliberately, 
"  that  of  all  my  various  accomplishments,  which  are 
many  —  as  T  shall  one  day  prove  to  you  —  I  can  poison 
best!  " 

"  Poison !  " 

The  exclamation  broke  simultaneously  from  all  the 
company.  Graub  looked  about  him  with  a  triumphant 
air. 

"  Ah  so,  —  I  know  I  shall  be  useful,"  he  said ;  '  I  can 
poison  so  very  beautifully  and  well !  One  little  drop  — 
one  little  microbe  of  mischief  —  and  I  can  make  all  your 
enemies  die  of  cholera,  typhoid,  bubonic  plague,  or  what 
you  please !  I  am  what  is  called  a  Christian  scientific 
poisoner  —  that  is  a  doctor !  You  will  find  me  a  most 
invaluable  member  of  this  Brotherhood !  " 

He  nodded  his  head  wisely,  and  smiled.  Sergius  Thord 
laid  one  hand  heavily  on  his  shoulder. 

"  We  shall  find  you  useful,  no  doubt !  "  he  said,  "  But 
mark  me  well,  friend !  Our  mission  is  not  to  kill,  but  to 
save!  —  not  to  poison,  but  to  heal!  Tf  we  find  that  by 
the  death  of  one  traitor  we  can  save  the  lives  of  thousands, 
why  then  that  traitor  must  die.     If  we  know  that  by  kill- 


The  King's  Double  113 

ing  a  king  \vc  destroy  a  country's  abuses,  that  king  is  sent 
to  his  account.  But  never  without  warning!  —  never 
without  earnest  pleading  that  he  whom  the  laws  of  Truth 
condemn,  may  turn  from  the  error  of  his  ways  and  repent 
before  it  is  too  late.  We  are  not  murderers ;  —  we  are 
merely  the  servants  of  justice." 

"  Exactly  !  "  put  in  Paul  Zouche  ;  '  You  understand  ? 
We  try  to  be  what  God  is  not,  —  just !  " 

'  Blaspheme  not,  Zouche !  "  said  Thord  ;  "  Justice  is 
the  very  eve  of  God  !  —  the  very  centre  and  foundation  of 
the  universe." 

Zouche  laughed  discordantly. 

'  Excellent  Sergius  !  Impulsive  Sergius  !  —  with  big 
heart,  big  head  and  no  logic !  Prove  to  me  this  eternal 
justice!  Where  does  it  begin  ?  In  the  creation  of  worlds 
without  end,  all  doomed  to  destruction,  and  therefore  per- 
fectly futile  in  their  existence?  In  the  making  of  man, 
who  lives  his  little  day  with  the  utmost  difficulty,  pain  and 
struggle,  and  is  then  extinguished,  to  be  heard  of  no 
more  ?  The  use  of  it,  my  Sergius !  —  point  out  the  use  of 
it!  No,  —  there  is  no  man  can  answer  me  that!  If  I 
could  see  the  Creator,  I  would  ask  Him  the  question  per- 
sonally —  but  He  hides  Himself  behind  the  great  big  pen- 
dulum He  has  set  swinging — tick — tock! — tick — tock! 
Life  —  Death!  —  Life  —  Death!  —  and  never  a  reason 
why  the  clock  is  set  going !  And  so  we  shall  never  have 
justice,  —  simply  because  there  is  none!  It  is  not  just  or 
reasonable  to  propound  a  question  to  which  there  is  no 
answer ;  it  is  not  just  or  reasonable  to  endow  man  with  all 
the  thinking  powers  of  brain,  and  all  the  imaginative 
movements  of  mind,  merely  to  turn  him  into  a  pinch  of 
dust  afterwards.  Every  generation,  every  country  strives 
to  get  justice  clone,  but  cannot,  —  merely  for  the  "fact  that 
God  Himself  has  no  idea  of  it,  and  therefore  it  is  natu- 
rally lacking  in  His  creature,  man.  Our  governing-forces 
are  plainly  the  elements.  No  Divine  finger  stops  the 
earthquake  from  engulfing  a  village  full  of  harmless  in- 
habitants, simply  because  of  the  injustice  of  such  utter 
destruction  !  See  now !  —  look  at  the  eyes  of  Lotys  re- 
proaching me !  You  would  think  they  were  the  eves  of 
an  angel,  gazing  at  a  devil  in  the  sweet  hope  of  plucking 
him  out  of  hell !  " 

8 


114  "Temporal  Power' 

"  Such  a  hope  would  be  vain  in  your  case,  Zouche," 
said  Lotys  tranquilly ;  "  You  make  your  own  hell,  and 
you  must  live  in  it !  Nevertheless,  in  some  of  the  wild 
things  you  say,  there  is  a  grain  of  truth.  If  I  were  God, 
I  should  be  the  most  miserable  of  all  beings,  to  look  upon 
all  the  misery  I  had  myself  created !  I  should  be  so  sorry 
for  the  world,  that  I  should  put  an  end  to  all  hope  of  im- 
mortality by  my  own  death." 

She  made  this  strange  remark  with  a  simplicity  and 
wistfulness  which  were  in  striking  contrast  to  the  awful 
profundity  of  the  suggestion,  and  all  her  auditors,  includ- 
ing the  half-tipsy  Zouche,  were  silent. 

'  I  should  be  so  sorry !  "  she  repeated ;  '  For  even  as  a 
mortal  woman  my  pity  for  the  suffering  world  almost 
breaks  my  heart ;  —  but  if  I  were  God,  I  should  have  all 
the  griefs  of  all  the  worlds  I  had  made  to  answer  for,  — 
and  such  an  agony  would  surely  kill  me.  Oh,  —  the  pain, 
the  tears,  the  mistakes,  the  sins,  the  anguish  of  humanity ! 
All  these  are  frightful  to  me!  I  do  not  understand  why 
such  misery  should  exist !  I  think  it  must  be  that  we  have 
not  enough  love  in  the  world ;  if  we  only  loved  each  other 
faithfully,  God  might  love  us  more!  " 

Her  eyes  were  wet ;  she  caught  her  breath  hard,  and 
smiled  a  little  difficult  smile.  Something  in  her  soul 
transfigured  her  face,  and  made  it  for  the  moment  ex- 
quisitely lovely,  and  the  men  around  her  gazed  at  her  in 
evidently  reverential  silence.  Suddenly  she  stretched  out 
both  her  hands : 

"  Good-night,  children  !  " 

One  by  one  the  would-be-fierce  associates  of  the  Revo- 
lutionary Committee  bent  low  over  those  fair  hands ;  and 
then  quietly  saluting  Sergius  Thord,  as  quietly  left  the 
room,  like  schoolboys  retiring  from  a  class  where  the  les- 
sons had  been  more  or  less  badly  done.  Paul  Zouche  was 
not  very  steady  on  his  feet,  and  two  of  his  comrades  as- 
sisted him  to  walk  as  he  stumbled  off,  singing  somewhat 
of  a  ribald  rhyme  in  messa-voce.  Pasquin  Leroy  and  his 
two  friends  were  the  last  to  go.  Lotys  looked  at  them  all 
three  meditatively. 

"You  will  be  faithful?"  she  said. 

"  Unto  death  !  "  answered  Leroy. 

She  came  close  up  to  him,  placing  one  hand  on  bis  arm, 


The  King's  Double  115 

and  glanced  meaningly  towards  Sergius  Thord,  who  was 
standing  at  the  threshold  watching  Zouche  stumbling 
down  the  dark  stairs. 

"  Sergius  is  a  good  man !  "  she  said  ;  "  (  hie  of  the  mis- 
taken geniuses  of  this  world,  —  savage  as  a  lion,  yet 
simple  as  a  child !  Whoever,  and  whatever  you  are,  be 
true  to  .him  !  " 

'  He  is  dear  to  you  ?  "  said  Leroy  on  a  sudden  im- 
pulse, catching  her  hand ;  '  He  is  more  to  you  than  most 
men  ?  " 

She  snatched  away  her  hand,  and  her  eyes  lightened 
first  with  wrath,  then  with  laughter. 

"  Dear  to  me!  "  she  echoed,  —  "  to  Me?  No  one  man 
on  earth  is  dearer  to  me  than  another !  All  are  alike  in 
my  estimation,  —  all  the  same  barbaric,  foolish  babes  and 
children  —  all  to  be  loved  and  pitied  alike !  But  Sergius 
Thord  picked  me  out  of  the  streets  when  I  was  no  better 
than  a  stray  and  starving  dog,  —  and  like  a  dog  I  serve 
him  —  faithfully  !     Now  go !  " 

She  stretched  out  her  hand  in  an  attitude  of  command, 
and  there  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  obey.  They  therefore 
repeated  their  farewells,  and  in  their  turn,  went  out,  one 
by  one,  down  the  tortuous  staircase.  Sholto,  the  hunch- 
back, was  below,  and  he  let  them  out  without  a  word,  clos- 
ing and  barring  the  door  carefully  behind  them.  Once  in 
the  street  and  under  the  misty  moonlight,  Pasquin  Leroy 
nodded  a  careless  dismissal  to  his  companions. 

'You  will  return  alone?"  enquired  Max  Graub. 

"  Quite  alone !  "  was  the  reply. 

'May  I  not  follow  you  at  a  distance?"  asked  Axel 
Regor. 

Leroy  smiled.  '  You  forget !  One  of  the  rules  we 
have  just  sworn  to  conform  to,  is  — '  No  member  shall 
track,  follow  or  enquire  into  the  movements  of  any  other 
member.'  Go  your  ways !  I  will  thank  you  both  for  your 
services  to-morrow." 

He  turned  away  rapidly  and  disappeared.  His  two 
friends  remained  gazing  somewhat  disconsolately  after 
him. 

'  Shall  we  go  ?  "  at  last  said  Max  Graub. 

'  When  you  please,"  replied  Axel  Regor  irritably,  — 
4  The  sooner  the  better  for  me !     Here  we  are  probably 


116  "Temporal  Power' 

watched,  —  we  had  best  go  down  to  the  quay,  and  from 
thence " 

He  did  not  finish  his  sentence,  but  Graub  evidently 
understood  its  conclusion  —  and  they  walked  quickly 
away  together  in  quite  an  opposite  direction  to  that  in 
which  Leroy  had  gone. 

Meanwhile,  up  in  the  now  closed  and  darkened  house 
they  had  left  behind  them,  Lotys  stood  looking  at  Sergius 
Thord,  who  had  thrown  himself  into  a  chair  and  sat  with 
his  elbows  resting  on  the  table,  and  his  head  buried  in  his 
hands. 

"  You  make  no  way,  poor  Sergius !  "  she  said  gently. 
"  You  work,  you  write,  you  speak  to  the  people,  but  you 
make  no  way !  " 

He  looked  up  fiercely. 

"  I  do  make  way!  "  he  said  ;  "  How  can  you  doubt  it? 
A  word  from  me,  and  the  massed  millions  would  rise  as 
one  man !  " 

"  And  of  what  use  would  that  be  ?  "  enquired  Lotys. 
"  The  soldiers  would  fire  on  the  people,  and  there  would 
be  riot  and  bloodshed,  but  no  actual  redress  for  wrong. 
You  work  vainly,  Sergius  !  " 

"  If  I  could  but  kill  the  King!  "  he  muttered. 

"  Another  king  would  succeed  him,"  she  said.  "  And 
after  all,  if  you  only  knew  it,  the  King  may  be  a  miserable 
man  enough  —  far  more  miserable,  perhaps,  than  any  of 
us  imagine  ourselves  to  be.  No,  Sergius !  —  I  repeat  it, 
you  work  vainly !  You  have  made  me  the  soul  of  an 
Ideal  which  you  will  never  realise?  Tell  me,  what  is  it  you 
yourself  would  have,  out  of  all  your  work  and  striving? ' 

He  looked  at  her  with  great,  earnest,  burning  eyes. 

"  Power!"  he  said.  "  Power  to  change  the  mode  of 
government;  power  to  put  down  the  tyranny  of  priest- 
craft—  power  to  relieve  the  oppressed,  and  reward  the 
deserving — power  to  make  of  you,  Lotys,  a  queen  among 
women !  " 

She  smiled. 

"  I  am  a  queen  among  men,  Sergius,  and  that  suffices 
me !  How  often  must  I  tell  you  to  do  nothing  for  my 
sake,  if  it  is  for  my  sake  only  ?  I  am  a  very  simple,  plain 
woman,  past  my  youth,  and  without  beauty  —  I  deserve 
and  demand  nothing !  " 


The  King's  Double  117 

He  raised  himself,  and  stretched  out  his  arms  towards 
her  with  a  gesture  of  entreaty. 

"  Yon  deserve  all  that  a  man  can  give  you!"  he  said 
passionately.  "  I  love  you,  Lotys !  1  have  always  loved 
you  ever  since  I  found  yon  a  little  forsaken  child,  shiver- 
ing and  weeping  on  the  cold  marble  steps  of  the  Temes- 
var  place  in  Buda.  I  love  yon! --you  know  1  have 
always  loved  you !  —  I  have  told  you  so  a  hundred  times, 
—  I  love  you  as  few  men  love  women  !  " 

She  regarded  him  compassionately,  and  with  a  touch 
of  wistful  sorrow  in  her  eyes.  Her  black  cloak  fell  away 
on  either  side  of  her  in  two  shadowy  folds,  disclosing  her 
white-robed  form  and  full  bosom,  like  a  pearl  in  a  dark 
shell. 

"  Good-night,  Sergins !  "  she  said  simply,  ami  turned 
to  go. 

He  gave  an  exclamation  of  anger  and  pain. 

"  That  is  all  you  say  — '  Good-night  ' !  "  he  muttered. 
"  A  man  gives  you  his  heart,  and  you  set  it  aside  with  a 
cold  word  of  farewell!  And  yet --and  yet  —  you  hold 
all  my  life !  " 

"I  am  sorry,  Sergius,"  she  said,  in  a  gentle  voice; 
"  very  sorry  that  it  is  so.  You  have  told  me  all  this  be- 
fore ;  and  1  have  answered  you  often,  and  always  in  the 
same  way.  I  have  no  love  to  give  you,  save  that  which 
is  the  result  of  duty  and  gratitude.  I  do  not  forget!  — 
I  know  that  you  rescued  me  from  starvation  and  death  — 
though  sometimes  I  question  whether  it  would  not  have 
been  better  to  have  let  me  die.  Life  is  worth  very  little 
at  its  utmost  best ;  nevertheless,  I  admit  I  have  had  a  cer- 
tain natural  joy  in  living,  and  for  that  I  have  to  thank 
you.     I  have  tried  to  repay  you  by  my  service " 

"  Do  not  speak  of  that,"  he  said  hurriedly ;  '  I  have 
done  nothing!  You  are  a  genius  in  yourself,  and  would 
have  made  your  way  anywhere,  —  perhaps  better  with- 
out me." 

She  smiled  doubtfully. 

"  I  am  not  sure !  The  trick  of  oratory  does  not  carry 
one  very  far,  —  not  when  one  is  a  woman  !  Good-night 
again,  Sergius!  Try  to  rest, --you  look  worn  out.  And 
do  not  think  of  winning  power  for  my  sake ;  what  power 
I  need  I  will  win  for  myself !  " 


y> 


i  18  "Temporal  Power 

He  made  no  answer,  but  watched  her  with  jealous  eyes, 
as  she  moved  towards"  the  door.  On  the  threshold  she 
turned. 

"  Those  three  new  associates  of  yours  —  are  they  trust- 
worthy, think  you  ?  " 

He  gave  a  gesture  of  indifference. 

"  I  do  not  know !  Who  is  there  we  can  absolutely  trust 
save  ourselves  ?  That  man,  Leroy,  is  honest,  —  of  that  I 
am  confident,  —  and  he  has  promised  to  be  responsible 
for  his  friends." 

"  Ah !  "  She  paused  a  moment,  then  with  another  low 
breathed  '  good-night  '  she  left  the  room. 

He  looked  at  the  door  as  it  closed  behind  her  —  at  the 
chair  she  had  left  vacant. 

"  Lotys  !  "  he  whispered. 

His  whisper  came  hissing  softly  back  to  him  in  a  fine 
echo  on  the  empty  space,  and  with  a  great  sigh  he  rose, 
and  began  to  turn  out  the  flaring  lamps  above  his  head. 

"  Power !  —  Power !  '"  he  muttered  —  "  She  could  not 
resist  it !  She  would  never  be  swayed  by  gold,  —  but 
power !  Her  genius  would  rise  to  it  —  her  beauty  would 
grow  to  it  like  a  rose  unfolding  in  the  sun !  '  Past  youth, 
and  without  beauty  '  as  she  says  of  herself !  My  God ! 
Compare  the  tame  pink-and-white  prettiness  of  youth 
with  the  face  of  Lotys,  —  and  that  prettiness  becomes 
like  a  cheap  advertisement  on  a  hoarding  or  a  match-box ! 
Contrast  the  perfect  features,  eyes  and  hair  of  the  new- 
est social  '  beauty,'  -  -  with  the  magical  expression,  the 
glamour  in  the  eyes  of  Lotys,  —  and  perfection  of  fea- 
ture becomes  the  rankest  ugliness !  Once  in  a  hundred 
centuries  a  woman  is  born  like  Lotys,  to  drive  men  mad 
with  desire  for  the  unattainable  —  to  fire  them  with  such 
ambition  as  should  make  them  emperors  of  the  world,  if 
they  had  but  sufficient  courage  to  snatch  their  thrones  — 
and  yet,  —  to  fill  them  with  such  sick  despair  at  their  own 
incompetency  and  failure,  as  to  turn  them  into  mere  chil- 
dren crying  for  love  —  for  love !  —  only  love !  No  mat- 
ter whether  worlds  are  lost,  kings  killed,  and  dynasties 
concluded,  love !  —  only  love !  —  and  then  death  !  —  as 
all  sufficient  for  the  life  of  a  man !  And  only  just  so  long 
as  love  is  denied  —  just  so  long  we  can  go  on  climbing 
towards  the  unreachable  height  of  greatness,  —  then  — 


The  King's  Double  i  i  9 

once  we  touch  love,  down  we  fall,  broken-hearted;    but 

—  we  have  had  our  day!  " 

The  room  was  now  in  darkness,  save  for  the  glimmer 
of  the  pale  moon  through  the  window  panes,  and  he 
opened  the  casement  and  looked  out.  There  was  a  faint 
scent  of  the  sea  on  the  air,  and  he  inhaled  its  salty  odour 
with  a  sense  of  refreshment. 

"  All  for  Lotys  !  "  he  murmured.  "Working  for  Lotys, 
plotting,  planning,  scheming  for  Lotys !  The  government 
intimidated, — the  ministry  cast  out, — the  throne  in  peril, 

—  the  people  in  arms,  --the  city  in  a  blaze,  -  -  Revolution 
and  Anarchy  doing  their  wild  work  broad-cast  together, 

—  all  for  Lotys  !  Always  a  woman  in  it !  Search  to  the 
very  depth  of  every  political  imbroglio, -- dig  out  the 
secret  reason  of  every  war  that  ever  was  begun  or  ended 
in  the  world,  —  and  there  we  shall  find  the  love  or  the 
hate  of  a  woman  at  the  very  core  of  the  business !  Some 
such  secrets  history  knows,  and  has  chronicled,  —  and 
some  will  never  be  known,  —  but  up  to  the  present  there 
is  not  even  a  religion  in  the  world  where  a  Woman  is  not 
made  the  beginning  of  a  God !  " 

He  smiled  somewhat  grimly  at  his  own  fanciful  mus- 
ings, and  then,  shutting  the  window,  retired.  The  house 
was  soon  buried  in  profound  silence  and  darkness,  and 
over  the  city  tuneful  bells  rang  the  half-hour  after  mid- 
night. Four  miles  distant  from  the  *  quarter  of  the  poor,' 
and  high  above  the  clustering  houses  of  the  whole  magnifi- 
cent metropolis,  the  Royal  palace  towered  whitely  on  its 
proud  eminence  in  the  glimmer  of  the  moon,  a  stately 
pile  of  turrets  and  pinnacles ;  and  on  the  battlements  the 
sentries  walked,  pacing  to  and  fro  in  regular  march,  with 
regular  changes,  all  through  the  night  hours.  Half  after 
midnight!  'All 's  well!'  Three-quarters,  and  still  'All  's 
well  '  sounded  with  the  clash  of  steel  and  a  tinkle  of  sil- 
very chimes.  One  o'clock  struck,  —  and  the  drifting 
clouds  in  heaven  cleared  fully,  showing  many  brilliant 
stars  in  the  western  horizon,  —  and  a  sentry  passing,  as 
noiselessly  as  his  armour  and  accoutrements  would  per- 
mit, along  the  walled  battlement  which  protected  and 
overshadowed  the  windows  of  the  Queen's  apartments, 
paused  in  his  walk  to  look  with  an  approving  eye  at  the 
clearing  promise  of  the  weather.     As  he  did  so,  a  tall 


120  "Temporal  Power' 

figure,  wrapped  in  a  thick  rain-cloak,  suddenly  made  its 
unexpected  appearance  through  a  side  door  in  the  wall, 
and  moved  rapidly  towards  a  turret  which  contained  a 
secret  passage  leading  to  the  Queen's  boudoir,  —  a  pri- 
vate stairway  which  was  never  used  save  by  the  Royal 
family.     The  sentry  gave  a  sharp  warning  cry. 

"  Halt !     Who  goes  there  ?  " 

The  figure  paused  and  turned,  dropping  its  cloak.  The 
pale  moonlight  fell  slantwise  on  the  features,  disclosing 
them  fully. 

"TisI!    The  King!" 

The  soldier  recoiled  amazed,  —  and  quickly  saluted. 
Before  he  could  recover  from  his  astonishment  he  was 
alone  again.  The  battlement  was  empty,  and  the  door  to 
the  turret-stairs, —  of  which  only  the  King  possessed  the 
key,  —  was  fast  locked ;  and  for  the  next  hour  or  more 
the  startled  sentry  remained  staring  at  the  skies  in  a  sort 
of  meditative  stupefaction,  with  the  words  still  ringing 
like  the  shock  of  an  alarm-bell  in  his  ears : 

"  T  is  I !    The  King !  " 


CHAPTER    IX 

THE   PREMIER'S    SIGNET 

^TT^HE  next  day  the  sun  rose  with  joyous  brightness  in 
JL  a  sky  clear  as  crystal.  Storm,  wind,  and  rain  had 
vanished  like  the  flying-  phantoms  of  an  evil  dream,  and 
all  the  beautiful  land  sparkled  with  light  and  life  in  its 
enlacing  girdle  of  turquoise  blue  sea.  The  gardens  of 
the  Royaf  palace,  freshened  by  the  downpour  of  the  past 
night,  wore  their  most  enchanting  aspect,  —  roses,  with 
leaves  still  wet,  dropped  their  scented  petals  on  the  grass, 
—  great  lilies,  with  their  snowy  cups  brimming  with  rain, 
hung  heavily  on  their  slim  green  stalks,  and  the  air  was 
full  of  the  "deliriously  penetrating  odour  of  the  mimosa 
and  sweetbriar.  Down  one  special  alley,  where  the  white 
philadelphus,  or  '  mock  orange  '  grew  in  thick  bushes  on 
either  side,  intermingled  with  ferns  and  spruce  firs,  whose 
young  green  tips  exhaled  a  pungent,  healthy  scent  that 
entered  into  the  blood  like  wine  and  invigorated  it,  Sir 
Roger  de  Launay  was  pacing  to  and  fro  with  a  swinging 
step  which,  notwithstanding  its  ease  and  soldierly  regu- 
larity, suggested  something  of  impatience,  and  on  a  rustic 
seat,  above  which  great  clusters  of  the  philadelphus- 
flowers  hung  like  a  canopy,  sat  Professor  von  Glauben, 
spectacles  on  nose,  sorting  a  few  letters  which  he  had  just 
taken  from  his  pocket  for  the  purpose  of  reading  them 
over  again  carefully  one  by  one.  He  was  a  very  particu- 
lar man  as  regarded  his  correspondence.  All  letters  that 
required  answering  he  answered  at  once,  —  the  others, 
as  he  himself  declared,  '  answered  themselves  '  in  silence. 
"  There  is  no  end  to  the  crop  of  fools  in  this  world," 
he  was  fond  of  saying ;  —  "  Glorious,  precious  fools  !  I 
love  them  all !  They  make  life  worth  living  —  but  some- 
times I  am  disposed  to  draw  the  line  at  letter-writing 
fools.  These  persons  chance  to  read  a  book  —  my  book 
for  example,  —  that  particularly  clever  one  I  wrote  on 


122  4<  Temporal  Power' 

the  possibilities  of  eternal  life  in  this  world.  They  at 
once  snatch  their  pens  and  write  to  say  that  they  are 
specially  deserving  of  this  boon,  and  wish  to  live  for  ever 
— will  I  tell  them  how?  And  these  are  the  very  creatures 
I  will  not  tell  how  —  because  their  perpetual  existence 
would  be  a  mistake  and  a  nuisance !  The  individuals 
whose  lives  are  really  valuable  never  ask  anyone  how  to 
make  them  so." 

He  looked  over  his  letters  now  with  a  leisurely  indiffer- 
ence. The  morning's  post  had  brought  him  nothing  of 
special  importance.  He  glanced  from  his  reading  now 
and  again  at  De  Launay  marching  up  and  down,  but  said 
nothing  till  he  had  quite  finished  with  his  own  immediate 
concerns.  Then  he  removed  his  spectacles  from  his  nose 
and  put  them  by. 

"  Left— Right— Left  — Right  — Left  — Right!  Roger, 
you  remind  me  of  my  drilling  days  on  a  certain  flat  and 
dusty  ground  at  Coblentz  !  The  Rhine !  —  the  Rhine ! 
Ah,  the  beautiful  Rhine !  So  dirty  — -  so  dull  —  with  its 
toy  castles,  and  its  big,  ugly  factory  chimneys,  and  its 
atrociously  bad  wine!  Roger,  I  beseech  you  to  have 
mercy  upon  me,  and  leave  off  that  marching  up  and 
down,  —  it  gets  on  my  nerves  !  " 

"  I  thought  nothing  ever  got  on  your  nerves,"  answered 
Sir  Roger,  stopping  abruptly  —  "  You  seem  to  take  seri- 
ous matters  coolly  enough  !  " 

"  Serious  matters  demand  coolness,"  replied  Von 
Glauben.  '  We  should  only  let  steam  out  over  trifles. 
Have  you  seen  his  Majesty  this  morning?" 

"  Yes.    I  am  to  see  him  again  at  noon." 

"  When  do  you  go  off  duty?  " 

"  Not  for  a  month,  at  least." 

'  Much  may  happen  in  that  month,"  said  the  Profes- 
sor sententiously ;  '  Your  hair  may  grow  white  with  the 
strangeness  of  your  experiences  !  " 

Sir  Roger  met  his  eyes,  and  they  both  laughed. 

'  Though  it  is  no  laughing  matter,"  resumed  Von 
Glauben.  '  Upon  my  soul  as  a  German,  —  if  I  have 
any  soul  of  that  nationality,  —  I  think  it  may  be  a  seri- 
ous business !  " 

'  You  have  come  round  to  my  opinion  then,"  said  De 
Launay.     "  I  told  you  from  the  first  that  it  was  serious!  " 


The  Premier's  Signet         123 

"  The  Kino-  does  not  think  it  so,"  rejoined  Von  Glauben. 
"  I  was  summoned  to  his  presence  early  this  morning,  and 

found  him  in  the  fullest  health  and  highest  spirits." 

"Why  did  he  send  for  you  then?"  enquired  De  Launay. 

"  To  feel  his  pulse  and  look  at  his  tongue!  To  make  a 
little  game  of  me  before  he  stepped  out  of  his  dressing- 
gown !  And  I  enjoyed  it,  of  course,  —  one  must  always 
enjoy  Royal  pleasantries !  I  think,  Roger,  his  Majesty 
wishes  this  entire  affair  treated  as  a  pleasantry,  —  by 
us  at  any  rate,  however  seriously  he  may  regard  it 
himself." 

De  Launay  was  silent  for  a  minute  or  two,  then  he  said 
abruptly  : 

"  The  Premier  is  summoned  to  a  private  audience  of 
the  King  at  noon." 

"  Ah ! '!  And  Von  Glauben  drew  a  cluster  of  the  over- 
hanging philadelphus  flowers  down  to  his  nose  and  smelt 
them  approvingly. 

"  And  "  —  went  on  De  Launay,  speaking  more  delib- 
erately, "  this  afternoon  their  Majesties  sail  to  The 
Islands " 

Von  Glauben  jumped  excitedly  to  his  feet. 

"  Not  possible!  " 

Sir  Roger  looked  at  him  with  a  dawning  amusement 
beginning  to  twinkle  in  his  clear  blue  eyes. 

"  Quite  possible !  So  possible,  that  the  Royal  yacht  is 
ordered  to  be  in  readiness  at  three  o'clock.  Their  Majes- 
ties and  suite  will  dine  on  board,  in  order  to  enjoy  the  re- 
turn sail  by  moonlight." 

The  Professor's  countenance  was  a  study.  Anxiety 
and  vexation  struggled  with  the  shrewd  kindness  and 
humour  of  his  natural  expression,  and  his  suppressed 
feelings  found  vent  in  a  smothered  exclamation,  which 
sounded  very  much  like  the  worst  of  blasphemous  oaths 
used  in  dire  extremity  by  the  soldiers  of  the  Fatherland. 

"  What  ails  you?  "  demanded  De  Launay;  "  You  seem 
strangely  upset  for  a  man  of  cool  nerve ! ': 

"LTpset?  Who  —  what  can  upset  me?  Nothing! 
Roger,  if  I  did  not  respect  you  so  much,  I  should  call 
you  an  ass  !  " 

Sir  Roger  laughed. 

"  Call  me  an  ass,  by  all  means,"  he  said,  "  if  it  will  re- 


124  "Temporal  Power" 

lieve  your  feelings;  —  but  in  justice  to  me,  let  me  know 
why  you  do  so !  What  is  my  offence  ?  I  give  you  a  piece 
of  commonplace  information  concerning  the  movements 
of  the  Court  this  afternoon,  and  you  jump  off  your  seat 
as  if  an  adder  had  bitten  you.     Why?" 

'  I  have  the  gout,"  said  Von  Glauben  curtly. 

"  Oh !  "  And  again  Sir  Roger  laughed.  "  That  last 
must  have  been  a  sharp  twinge !  " 

'  It  was  —  it  was  !  Believe  me,  my  excellent  Roger,  it 
was  exceedingly  severe !  "  His  brow  smoothed,  and  he 
smiled.  "  See  here,  my  dear  friend  !  —  you  know,  do  you 
not,  that  boys  will  be  boys,  and  men  will  be  men?  " 

'  Both  are  recognised  platitudes,"  replied  Sir  Roger, 
his  eyes  still  twinkling  merrily ;  "  And  both  are  fre- 
quently quoted  to  cover  our  various  follies !  " 

'  True,  true !  But  I  wish  to  weigh  more  particularly 
on  the  fact  that  men  will  be  men !  I  am  a  man,  Roger,  — 
not  a  boy !  " 

'Really!  Well,  upon  my  word,  I  should  at  this  mo- 
ment take  you  for  a  raw  lad  of  about  eighteen,  —  for  you 
are  blushing,  Von  Glauben!- — actually  blushing!'' 

The  Professor  drew  out  a  handkerchief,  and  wiped  his 
brow. 

'  It  is  a  warm  morning,  Roger,"  he  said,  with  a  mildly 
reproachful  air ;  'I  suppose  I  am  permitted  to  feel  the 
heat  ?  "  He  paused  —  then  with  a  sudden  burst  of  impa- 
tience he  exclaimed :  '  By  the  Emperor's  head  !  It  is  of 
no  use  denying  it  —  I  am  very  much  put  out,  Roger !  I 
must  get  a  boat,  and  slip  off  to  The  Islands  at  once !  " 

Sir  Roger  stared  at  him  in  complete  amazement. 

'  You  ?  You  want  to  slip  off  to  The  Islands  ?  Why, 
Von  Glauben !  " 

'  Yes  —  yes,  —  I  know  !  You  cannot  possibly  imagine 
what  I  want  to  go  there  for!  You  wouldn't  suppose, 
would  you,  that  I  had  any  special  secrets  —  an  old  man 
like  me ;  —  for  instance,  you  would  not  suspect  me  of  any 
love  secrets,  eh  ?  "  And  he  made  a  ludicrous  attempt  to 
appear  sentimental.  "  The  fact  is,  Roger,  —  I  have  got 
into  a  little  scrape  over  at  The  Islands  —  "  here  he  looked 
warmer  and  redder  than  ever;  —  "and  I  want  to  take 
precautions!  You  understand  —  T  want  to  take  care  that 
the  King  does  not  hear  of  it  —  Gott  in  Himmel !    What  a 


The  Premier's  Signet  125 

block  of  a  man  you  are  to  stand  there  staring  open- 
mouthed  at  me!     Were  you  never  in  love  yourself?' 

"In    love?      In    love!-     -  you, -- Professor?      Pray 

pardon  me but  —  in  love  ?    Am  I  to  understand  that 

there  is  a  lady  in  your  case?  " 

«  Yes !  —  that  is  it,"  said  Von  Glauben,  with  an  air  of 
profound  relief ;  "  There  is  a  lady  in  my  case  ;  —  or  my 
case,  speaking  professionally,  is  that  of  a  lady.  And  I 
shall  get  any  sort  of  a  sea-tub  that  is  available,  and  go 
over  to  those  accursed  Islands  without  any  delay !  " 

"If  the  King  should  send  for  you  while  you  are  ab- 
sent —  "  began  De  Launay  doubtfully. 

"  He  will  not  send.  But  if  he  should,  what  of  it?  I  am 
known  to  be  somewhat  eccentric  —  particularly  so  in  my 
love  of  hard  work,  fresh  air  and  exercise  —  besides,  he 
has  not  commanded  my  attendance.  He  will  not,  there- 
fore, be  surprised  at  my  absence.  I  tell  you,  Roger,  — 
I  must  go!  Who  would  have  expected  the  King  to  take 
it  into  his  head  to  visit  The  Islands  without  a  moment's 
warning !     What  a  freak !  " 

"  And  here  comes  the  reason  of  the  freak,  if  I  am  not 
very  much  mistaken,"  said  De  Launay,  lowering  his 
voice  as  an  approaching  figure  flung  its  lengthy  shadow 
on  the  path,  —  "  Prince  Humphry  !  " 

Von  Glauben  hastily  drew  back,  De  Launay  also,  to 
allow  the  Prince  to  pass.  He  was  walking  slowly,  and 
reading  as  he  came.  Looking  up  from  his  book  he  saw 
them,  and  as  they  saluted  him  profoundly,  bade  them 
good-day. 

"  You  are  up  betimes,  Professor,"  he  said  lightly ;  '  I 
suppose  your  scientific  wisdom  teaches  you  the  advantage 
of  the  morning  air." 

"  Truly,  Sir,  it  is  more  healthful  than  that  of  the  even- 
ing," answered  Von  Glauben  in  somewhat  doleful  ac- 
cents. — "  For  example,  a  sail  across  the  sea  with  the 
morning  breeze,  is  better  than  the  same  sort  of  excursion 
in  the  glamour  of  the  moon !  " 

Prince  Humphry  looked  steadfastly  at  him,  and  evi- 
dently read  something  of  a  warning,  or  a  suggestion,  in 
his  face,  for  he  coloured  slightly  and  bit  his  lip. 

"  Do  you  agree  with  that  theory,  Sir  Roger,"  he  said, 
turning  to  De  Launay. 


126  "Temporal  Power' 

"  I  have  not  tested  it,  Sir,"  replied  the  equerry,  "  But 
I  imagine  that  whatever  Professor  von  Glauben  asserts 
must  be  true !  " 

The  young  man  glanced  quickly  from  one  to  the  other, 
and  then  with  a  careless  air  turned  over  the  pages  of  the 
book  he  held. 

"  In  the  earlier  ages  of  the  world,"  he  said,  —  "men 
and  women,  I  think,  must  have  been  happier  than  they 
are  now,  if  this  book  may  be  believed.  I  find  here  written 
down What  is  it,  Professor?     You  have  something 

to  say . 

"  Pardon  me,  Sir,"  said  Von  Glauben,  —  "  But  you  said 
— '  If  this  book  may  be  believed.'  I  humbly  venture  to 
declare  that  no  book  may  be  believed!  " 

"Not  even  your  own,  when  it  is  written?"  queried 
the  Prince  with  a  smile ;  "  You  would  not  like  the  world 
to  say  so !  Nay,  but  listen,  Professor,  —  here  is  a  thought 
very  beautifully  expressed  —  and  it  was  written  in  an 
ancient  language  of  the  East,  thousands  of  years  before 
we,  in  our  quarter  of  the  world,  ever  dreamt  of  civiliza- 
tion. — '  Of  all  the  sentiments,  passions  or  virtues  which 
in  their  divers  turns  affect  the  life  of  a  man,  the  influence 
and  emotion  of  Love  is  surely  the  greatest  and  highest. 
We  do  not  here  speak  of  the  base  and  villainous  craving 
of  bodily  appetite ;  but  of  that  pure  desire  of  the  unfet- 
tered soul  which  beholding  perfection,  straightway  and 
naturally  flies  to  the  same.  "  This  love  doth  so  elevate  and 
instruct  a  man,  that  he  seeketh  nothing  better  than  to  be 
worthy  of  it,  to  attempt  great  deeds  and  valiantly  perform 
them,  to  confront  foul  abuses,  and  most  potently  destroy 
them,  —  and  to  esteem  the  powers  and  riches  of  this 
world  as  dross,  weighed  against  this  rare  and  fiery  talis- 
man. For  it  is  a  jewel  which  doth  light  up  the  heart,  and 
make  it  strong  to  support  all  sorrow  and  ill  fortune  with 
cheerfulness,  knowing  that  it  is  in  itself  of  so  lasting  a 
quality  as  to  subjugate  all  things  and  events  unto  its  com- 
pelling sway.'  What  think  you  of  this?  Sir  Roger, 
there  is  a  whole  volume  of  comprehension  in  your  face! 
Give  some  word  of  it  utterance !  " 

Sir  Roger  looked  up. 

"  There  is  nothing  to  say,  Sir,"  he  replied ;  '  Your 
ancient  writer  merely  expresses  a  truth  we  are  all  con- 


The  Premier's  Signet  127 

scious  of.  All  poets,  worthy  the  name,  and  all  authors, 
save  and  except  the  coldest  logicians,  deem  the  world  well 
lost  for  love." 

"  More  fools  they!  "  said  Von  Glauben  gruffly ;  "  Love 
is  a  mere  illusion,  which  is  generally  destroyed  by  one 
simple  ceremony  —  Marriage !  " 

Prince  Humphry  smiled. 

"You  have  never  tried  the  cure,  Professor,"  he  said, 
"  But  I  daresay  you  have  suffered  from  the  disease !  Will 
you  walk  with  me  ?  " 

Von  Glauben  bowed  a  respectful  assent ;  and  the  Prince, 
with  a  kindly  nod  of  dismissal  to  De  Launay,  went  on  his 
way,  the  Professor  by  his  side.  Sir  Roger  watched 
them  as  they  disappeared,  and  saw,  that  at  the  furthest 
end  of  the  alley,  when  they  were  well  out  of  ear-shot, 
they  appeared  to  engage  in  very  close  and  confidential 
conversation. 

'  I  wonder,"  he  mused,  "  I  wonder  what  it  all  means? 
Von  Glauben  is  evidently  mixed  up  in  some  affair  that  he 
wishes  to  keep  secret  from  the  King.  Can  it  concern 
Prince  Humphry  ?  And  The  Islands !  What  can  Von 
Glauben  want  over  there?" 

His  brief  meditation  was  interrupted  by  a  soft  voice 
calling. 

"  Roger !  " 

He  started,  and  at  once  advanced  to  meet  the  approach- 
ing intruder,  his  sister,  Teresa  de  Launay,  a  pretty  bru- 
nette, with  dark  sparkling  eyes,  one  of  the  favourite 
ladies  of  honour  in  attendance  on  the  Queen. 

"  What  were  you  dreaming  about?"  she  asked,  as  he 
came  near,  "  And  what  is  the  Prince  doing  with  old  Von 
Glauben  ?  " 

'  Two  questions  at  once,  Teresa ! '"  he  said,  stooping 
his  tall  head  to  kiss  her;  '  I  cannot  possibly  answer  both 
in  a  breath!  But  answer  me  just  one  —  What  are  you 
here  for  ?  " 

'To  summon  you!"  she  answered.  'The  Queen 
desires  you  to  wait  upon  her  immediately." 

She  fixed  her  bright  eyes  upon  him  as  she  spoke,  and 
an  involuntary  sigh  escaped  her,  as  she  noted  the  touch  of 
pallor  that  came  on  his  face  at  her  words. 

"  Where  is  her  Majesty?  "  he  asked. 


128  "Temporal  Power' 

"  Here  —  close  at  band  —  in  the  arbour.  She  spied 
you  at  a  distance  through  the  trees,  and  sent  me  to  fetch 
you." 

"  You  had  best  return  to  her  at  once,  and  say  that  I  am 


coming. 


I  lis  sister  looked  at  him  again,  and  hesitated  —  he  gave 
a  slight,  vexed  gesture  of  impatience,  whereupon  she  hur- 
ried away,  with  flying  footsteps  as  light  as  those  of  a 
f allied  sylph  of  the  woodlands.  He  watched  her  go,  and 
for  a  moment  an  expression  came  into  his  eyes  of  intense 
suffering  —  the  look  of  a  noble  dog  who  is  suddenly 
struck  undeservedly  by  an  unkind  master. 

"  She  sends  for  me!  "  he  muttered;  '  What  for?  To 
amuse  herself  by  reading  every  thought  of  my  life  with 
her  cold  eyes?    Why  can  she  not  leave  me  alone?  " 

He  walked  on  then,  with  a  quiet,  even  pace,  and  pres- 
ently reaching  the  end  of  the  alley,  came  out  on  a  soft 
stretch  of  greensward  facing  a  small  ornamental  lake  and 
fountain.  Here  grew  tall  rushes,  bamboos  and  flag- 
flowers  —  here,  too,  on  the  quiet  lake  floated  water-lilies, 
white  and  pink,  opening  their  starry  hearts  to  the  glory 
of  the  morning  sun.  A  quaintly  shaped,  rustic  arbour 
covered  with  jasmine,  faced  the  pool,  and  here  sat  the 
Queen  alone  and  unattended,  save  by  Teresa  de  Launay, 
who  drew  a  little  apart  as  her  brother,  Sir  Roger,  ap- 
proached, and  respectfully  bent  his  head  in  the  Royal 
presence.  For  quite  a  minute  he  stood  thus  in  dumb 
attention,  his  eyes  lowered,  while  the  Queen  glanced  at 
him  with  a  curious  expression,  half  of  doubt,  half  of 
commiseration.  Suddenly,  as  if  moved  by  a  quick  im- 
pulse, she  rose  —  a  stately,  exquisite  figure,  looking  even 
more  beautiful  in  her  simple  morning  robe  of  white  cash- 
mere and  lace,  than  in  all  the  glory  of  her  Court  attire,  — 
and  extended  her  hand.  Humbly  and  reverentially  he 
bent  over  it,  and  kissed  the  great  jewel  sparkling  like  a 
star  on  the  central  finger.  As  he  then  raised  his  eyes  to 
her  face  she  smiled ;  —  that  smile  of  hers,  so  dazzling,  so 
sweet,  and  yet  so  cold,  had  sent  many  men  to  their  deaths, 
though  she  knew  it  not. 

"  I  see  very  little  of  you,  Sir  Roger,"  she  said  slowly, 
"  notwithstanding  your  close  attendance  on  my  lord  the 
King.     Yet  I  know  T  can  command  your  service !  " 


The  Premier's  Signet         129 

"  Madam,"  murmured  De  Launay,  "  my  life ' 

"  Oh,  no,"  she  rejoined  quickly,  '  not  your  life!  Your 
life,  like  mine,  belongs  to  the  King  and  the  country.  You 
must  give  all,  or  not  at  all !  " 

"  Madam,  I  do  give  all !  "  he  answered,  with  a  look  in 
his  eyes  of  mingled  pain  and  passion  ;  "  No  man  can  give 
more !  " 

She  surveyed  him  with  a  little  meditative,  almost 
amused  air. 

"  You  have  strong  feelings,  Sir  Roger,"  she  said ;  '  I 
wonder  what  it  is  like  —  to  feel  ?  " 

"  If  I  may  dare  to  say  so,  Madam,  I  should  wish  you  to 
experience  the  sensation,"  he  returned  somewhat  bitterly ; 
"  Sometimes  we  awaken  to  emotions  too  late  —  some- 
times we  never  awaken.  But  I  think  it  is  wisest  to  ex- 
perience the  nature  of  a  storm,  in  order  to  appreciate  the 
value  of  a  calm  !  " 

"  You  think  so?"  She  smiled  indulgently.  'Storm 
and  calm  are  to  me  alike !  I  am  affected  by  neither.  Life 
is  so  exceedingly  trivial  an  affair,  and  is  so  soon  over, 
that  I  have  never  been  able  to  understand  why  people 
should  ever  trouble  themselves  about  anything  in  it." 

"  You  may  not  always  be  lacking  in  this  comprehen- 
sion, Madam,"  said  Sir  Roger,  with  a  certain  harshness 
in  his  tone,  yet  with  the  deepest  respect  in  his  manner ; 
"  I  take  it  that  life  and  the  world  are  but  a  preparation 
for  something  greater,  and  that  we  shall  be  forced  to 
learn  our  lessons  in  this  preparatory  school  before  we 
leave  it,  whether  we  like  it  or  no!  " 

The  slight  smile  still  lingered  on  her  beautiful  mouth, 
—  she  pulled  a  spray  of  jasmine  down  from  the  trailing 
clusters  around  her,  and  set  it  carelessly  among  the  folds 
of  her  lace.  Sir  Roger  watched  her  with  moody  eyes. 
Could  he  have  followed  his  own  inclination,  he  would 
have  snatched  the  flower  from  her  dress  and  kissed  it,  in 
a  kind  of  fierce  defiance  before  her  very  eyes.  But  what 
would  be  the  result  of  such  an  act  ?  Merely  a  little  con- 
temptuous lifting  of  the  delicate  brows  —  a  slight  frown 
on  the  fair  forehead,  and  a  calm  gesture  of  dismissal.  No 
more  —  no  more  than  this;  for  just  as  she  could  not  be 
moved  to  love,  neither  could  she  be  moved  to  anger.  The 
words  of  an  old  song  rang  in  his  ears :  — 

9 


130  "  Temporal  Power' 

She  laughs  at  the  thought  of  love  — 
Pain  she  scorns,  and  sorrow  she  sets  aside  — 
My  heart  she  values  less  than  her  broidered  glove, 

She  would  smile  if  I  died  ! 

"  You  are  a  man,  Sir  Roger  de  Launay,"  she  said  after 
a  pause,  "  And  man-like,  you  propound  any  theory  which 
at  the  moment  happens  to  fit  your  own  particular  humour. 
I  am,  however,  entirely  of  your  opinion  that  this  life  is 
only  a  term  of  preparation,  and  with  this  conviction  I 
desire  to  have  as  little  to  do  with  its  vile  and  ugly  side  as 
I  can.  It  is  possible  to  accept  with  gratitude  the  beautiful 
things  of  Nature,  and  reject  the  rest,  is  it  not?  " 

"As  you  ask  me  the  question  point-blank,  Madam,  I 
say  it  is  possible,  —  it  can  be  done,  —  and  you  do  it. 
But  it  is  wrong!  " 

She  raised  her  languid  eyelids,  showing  no  offence. 

"  Wrong?  " 

'  Wrong,  Madam !  "  repeated  Sir  Roger  bluntly ;  "  It 
is  wrong  to  shut  from  your  sight,  from  your  heart,  from 
your  soul  the  ugly  side  of  Nature ;  —  to  shut  your  ears  to 
the  wants  —  the  pains  —  the  tortures  —  the  screams  — 
the  tears,  and  groans  of  humanity !  Oh,  Madam,  the 
ugly  side  has  a  strange  beauty  of  its  own  that  you  dream 
not  of !  God  makes  ugliness  as  he  makes  beauty ;  God 
created  the  volcano  belching  forth  fire  and  molten  lava, 
as  He  created  the  simple  stream  bordered  with  meadow 
flowers !  Why  should  you  reject  the  ugly,  the  fierce,  the 
rebellious  side  of  things?  Rather  take  it  into  your  gra- 
cious thoughts  and  prayers,  Madam,  and  help  to  make  it 
beautiful !  " 

He  spoke  with  a  force  which  surprised  himself  —  he 
was  carried  away  by  a  passion  that  seemed  almost  outside 
his  own  identity.     She  looked  at  him  curiously. 

"  Does  the  King  teach  you  to  speak  thus  to  me?  "  she 
asked. 

De  Launay  started,  —  the  hot  colour  mounting  to  his 
cheeks  and  brow. 

"  Madam!  " 
Nay,   no   excuse !      I   understand !      It   is   your  own 
thought;    but  a  thought  which  is  no  doubt  suddenly  in- 
spired by  the  King's  actions,"   she  went  on  tranquilly; 
'  You  are  in  his  confidence.     He  is  adopting  new  meas- 


The  Premier's  Signet         131 

ures  of  domestic  policy,  in  which,  perchance,  I  may  or 

may  not  he  included as  it  suits  my  pleasure !     Who 

knows !  "  Again  the  little  musing  smile  crossed  her 
countenance.    "  It  is  of  the  King  I  wish  to  speak  to  you." 

She  glanced  around  her,  and  saw  that  her  lady-in- 
waiting,  Teresa  de  Launay,  had  discreetly  wandered  by 
herself  to  the  edge  of  the  water-lily  pool,  and  was  bend- 
ing over  it,  a  graceful,  pensive  figure  in  the  near  distance, 
within  call,  but  certainly  not  within  hearing. 

"  You  are  in  his  confidence,"  she  repeated,  drawing  a 
step  nearer  to  him,  "and — so  am  I !  You  will  not  disclose 
his  movements  —  nor  shall  I !  But  you  are  his.  close  at- 
tendant and  friend,  —  I  am  merely  —  his  wife !  I  make 
you  responsible  for  his  safety !  " 

"Madam,  I  pray  you  pardon  me!"  exclaimed  De 
Launay  ;  "  His  Majesty  has  a  will  of  his  own,  —  and  his 
sacred  life  is  not  in  my  hands.  I  will  defend  him  to  the 
utmost  limit  of  human  possibility,  —  but  if  he  voluntarily 
runs  into  danger,  and  disregards  all  warning,  I,  as  his 
poor  servant,  am  not  to  blame !  ,: 

Her  eyes,  brilliant  and  full  of  a  compelling  magnetism, 
dwelt  upon  him  steadfastly. 

"  I  repeat  my  command,"  she  said  deliberately,  "  I 
make  you  responsible !  You  are  a  strong  man  and  a  brave 
one.  If  the  King  is  rash,  it  is  the  dutv  of  his  servants  to 
defend  him  from  the  consequences  of  his  rashness ;  par- 
ticularly if  that  rashness  leads  him  into  danger  for  a  noble 
purpose.  Should  any  mischance  befall  him,  let  me  never 
see  your  face  again !  Die  yourself,  rather  than  let  your 
King  die !  " 

As  she  spoke  these  words  she  motioned  him  away  with 
a  grand  gesture  of  dismissal,  and  he  retired  back  from 
her  presence  in  a  kind  of  stunned  amazement.  Never 
before  in  all  the  days  of  her  social  sway  as  Crown-Prin- 
cess, had  she  ever  condescended  to  speak  to  him  on  any 
matter  of  confidence,  —  never  during  her  three  years  of 
sovereignty  as  Queen-Consort  had  she  apparently  taken 
note,  or  cared  to  know  any  of  the  affairs  connected  with 
the  King,  her  husband.  The  mere  fact  that  now  her 
interest  was  roused,  moved  De  Launay  to  speechless 
wonderment.  He  hardly  dared  raise  his  eyes  to  look  at 
her,  as  she  turned  from  him  and  went  slowly,  with  her 


132  "Temporal  Power' 

usual  noiseless,  floating  grace  of  movement,  towards 
the  water-lily  pool,  there  to  rejoin  her  attendant,  Teresa 
de  Launay,  who  at  the  same  time  advanced  to  meet  her 
Royal  -mistress.  A  moment  more,  and  Queen  and  lady  of 
honour  had  disappeared  together,  and  De  Launay  was  left 
alone.  A  little  bird,  swinging  on  a  branch  above  his  head, 
piped  a  few  tender  notes  to  the  green  leaves  and  the 
sunlit  sky,  but  beyond  this,  and  the  measured  plash 
of  the  fountain,  no  sound  disturbed  the  stillness  of  the 
garden. 

'  Upon  my  word,  Roger  de  Launay,"  he  said  bitterly 
to  himself,  "  you  are  an  ass  sufficiently  weighted  with 
burdens !  The  love  of  a  Queen,  and  the  life  of  a  King 
are  enough  for  one  man's  mind  to  carry  with  any  degree 
of  safety!  If  it  were  not  for  the  King,  I  think  I  should 
leave  this  country  and  seek  some  other  service  —  but  I 
owe  him  much,  —  if  onlv  by  reason  of  mv  own  heart's 
folly !  " 

Impatient  with  himself,  he  strode  away,  straight  across 
the  lawn  and  back  to  the  palace.  Here  he  noticed  just 
the  slightest  atmosphere  of  uneasiness  among  some  of  the 
retainers  of  the  Royal  household,  —  a  vague  impression 
of  flurry  and  confusion.  Through  various  passages  and 
corridors,  attendants  and  pages  were  either  running  about 
with  extra  haste,  or  else  strolling  to  and  fro  with  extra 
slowness.  As  he  turned  into  one  of  the  ante-chambers,  he 
suddenly  confronted  a  tall,  military-looking  personage 
in  plain  civilian  attire,  whom  he  at  once  recognized  as  the 
Chief  of  the  Police. 

"Ah,  Bernhoff!"  he  said  lightly,  "any  storms 
brewing?  " 

"  None  that  call  for  particular  attention,  Sir  Roger," 
replied  the  individual  addressed  ;  '  But  I  have  been  sent 
for  by  the  King,  and  am  here  awaiting  his  pleasure." 

Sir  Roger  showed  no  sign  of  surprise,  and  with  a 
friendly  nod  passed  on.  He  began  to  find  the  situation 
rather  interesting. 

"  After  all,"  he  argued  inwardly,  "there  is  nothing  to 
hinder  the  King  from  being  a  social  autocrat,  even  if  he 
cannot  by  the  rules  of  the  Constitution  be  a  political  one. 
And  we  should  do  well  to  remember  that  politics  are  gov- 
erned entirely  by  social  influence.     Tt  is  the  same  thing 


The  Premier's  Signet         133 

all  over  the  world  —  a  deluded  populace  —  a  social  move- 
ment which  elects  a  parliament  and  ministry -- and  then 
the  result,  —  which  is,  that  this  or  that  party  hold  the 
reins  of  government,  on  whichever  side  happens  to  be 
most  advantageous  to  the  immediate  social  and  financial 
whim.  The  people  are  the  grapes  crushed  into  wine  for 
their  rulers'  drinking ;  and  the  King  is  merely  the  wine- 
cup  on  the  festal  "board.  If  he  once  begins  to  be 
something  more  than  that  cup,  there  will  be  an  end  of 
revelry  !  " 

His"  ideas  were  not  without  good  foundation  in  fact. 
Throughout  all  history,  where  a  strong  man  has  ruled  a 
nation,"  whether  for  good  or  ill,  he  has  left  his  mark  ;  and 
where  there  has  been  no  strong  man,  the  annals  of  the 
time  are  vapid  and  uninteresting.  Governments  emanate 
from  social  influences.  The  social  rule  of  the  Roman 
Emperors  bred  athletes,  heroes,  and  poets,  merely  because 
physical  strength  and  courage,  combined  with  heroism 
and  poetic  perception  were  encouraged  by  Roman  society. 
The  social  rule  of  England's  Elizabeth  had  its  result  in 
the  brilliant  attainments  of  the  many  great  men  who 
crowded  her  Court  -  -  the  social  rule  of  Victoria,  until  the 
death  of  the  Prince  Consort,  bred  gentle  women  and  chiv- 
alrous men.  In  all  these  cases,  the  reigning  monarchs 
governed  society,  and  society  governed  politics.  Politics, 
indeed,  can  scarcely  be  considered  apart  from  society, 
because  on  the  nature  and  character  of  society  depend  the 
nature  and  character  of  politics.  If  society  is  made  up  of 
corrupt  women  and  unprincipled  men,  the  spirit  of  polit- 
ical government  will  be  as  corrupt  and  unprincipled  as 
they.  If  any  King,  beholding  such  a  state  of  things,  were 
to  suddenly  cut  himself  clear  of  the  corruption,  and  to 
make  a  straight  road  for  his  own  progress  —  clean  and 
open  —  and  elect  to  walk  in  it,  society  would  follow  his 
lead,  and  as  a  logical  consequence  politics  would  become 
honourable.  But  no  monarchs  have  the  courage  of  their 
Opinions  nowadays,  —  if  only  one  sovereign  of  them  all 
possessed  such  courage,  he  could  move  the  world ! 

The  long  bright  day  unwound  its  sunny  hours,  crowned 
with  blue  skies  and  fragrant  winds,  and  the  life  and  move- 
ment of  the  fair  city  by  the  sea  was  gay,  incessant  and 
ever-changing.    There  was  some  popular  interest  and  ex- 


134         "Temporal  Power' 

citement  going  on  down  at  the  quay,  for  the  usual  idle 
crowd  had  collected  to  see  the  Royal  yacht  being  pre- 
pared for  her  afternoon's  cruise.  Though  she  was  always 
kept  ready  for  sailing,  the  King's  orders  this  time  had 
been  sudden  and  peremptory,  and,  consequently,  all  the 
men  on  board  were  exceptionally  hard  at  work  getting 
things  in  immediate  readiness.  The  fact  that  the  Queen 
was  to  accompany  the  King  in  the  afternoon's  trip  to 
The  Islands,  where  up  to  the  present  she  had  never 
been,  was  a  matter  of  lively  comment,  ■ — -  her  extraordi- 
nary beauty  never  failing  to  attract  a  large  number  of 
sight-seers. 

In  the  general  excitement,  no  one  saw  Professor  von 
Glauben  quietly  enter  a  small  and  common  sailing  skiff, 
manned  by  two  ordinary  fishermen  of  the  shore,  and  scud 
away  with  the  wind  over  the  sea  towards  the  west,  where, 
in  the  distance  on  this  clear  day,  a  gleaming  line  of  light 
showed  where  The  Islands  lay,  glistening  like  emerald 
and  pearl  in  the  midst  of  the  dark  blue  waste  of  water. 
His  departure  was  unnoticed,  though  as  a  rule  the  King's 
private  physician  commanded  some  attention,  not  only 
by  reason  of  his  confidential  post  in  the  Royal  household, 
but  also  on  account  of  certain  rumours  which  were  circu- 
lated through  the  country  concerning  his  wonderful  skill 
in  effecting  complete  cures  where  all  hope  of  recovery  had 
been  abandoned.  It  was  whispered,  indeed,  that  he  had 
discovered  the  '  Elixir  of  Life,'  but  that  he  would  not 
allow  its  properties  to  be  made  known,  lest  as  the  Scrip- 
ture saith,  man  should  '  take  and  eat  and  live  for  ever.' 
It  was  not  advisable  —  so  the  Professor  was  reported  to 
have  said  —  that  all  men  should  live  for  ever,  —  but  only 
a  chosen  few ;  and  he,  at  present,  was  apparently  the 
privileged  person  who  alone  was  fitted  to  make  the  selec- 
tion of  those  few.  For  this  and  various  other  reasons,  he 
was  generally  looked  at  with  considerable  interest,  but 
this  morning,  owing  to  the  hurried  preparations  for 
the  embarking  of  their  Majesties  on  board  the  Royal 
yacht,  he  managed  to  escape  from  even  chance  recogni- 
tion,—  and  he  was  well  over  the  sea,  and  more  than 
half-way  to  his  destination  before  the  bells  of  the  city 
struck  noon. 

Punctual  to  that  hour,  a  close  carriage  drove  up  to  the 


The  Premier's  Signet         135 

palace.  It  contained  no  less  a  personage  than  the  Prime 
Minister,  the  Marquis  de  Lutera, — a  dark,  heavy  man, 
with  small  furtive  eves,  a  ponderous  jaw,  and  a  curious 
air  of  seeming  for  ever  on  an  irritable  watch  for  offences. 
His  aspect  was  intellectual,  yet  always  threatening;  and 
his  frigid  manner  was  profoundly  discouraging  to  all 
who  sought  to  win  his  attention  or  sympathy.  He  en- 
tered the  palace  now  with  an  easy,  not  to  say  assertive 
deportment,  and  as  he  ascended  the  broad  staircase  which 
led  to  the  King's  private  apartments,  he  met  the  Chief  of 
the  Police  coming  down.  This  latter  saluted  him,  but  he 
barely  acknowledged  the  courtesy,  so  taken  by  surprise 
was  he  at  the  sight  of  this  administrative  functionary  in 
the  palace  at  so  early  an  hour.  However,  it  was  impos- 
sible to  ask  any  questions  of  him  on  the  grand  staircase, 
within  hearing  of  the  Royal  lackeys ;  so  he  continued  on 
his  way  upstairs,  with  as  much  dignity  as  his  heavily- 
moulded  figure  would  permit  him  to  display,  till  he 
reached  the  upper  landing  known  as  the  '  King's  Cor- 
ridor,' where  Sir  Roger  de  Launay  was  in  waiting  to 
conduct  him  to  his  sovereign's  presence.  To  him  the 
Marquis  addressed  the  question : 

"  Bernhoff  has  been  with  the  King?" 

"  Yes.     For  more  than  an  hour." 

"  Any  robbery  in  the  palace  ?  " 

De  Launay  smiled. 

"  I  think  not !  So  far  as  I  am  permitted  to  be  cogni- 
sant of  events,  there  is  nothing  wrong !  " 

The  Marquis  looked  slightly  perplexed. 

"  The  King  is  well?  " 

'  Remarkably  well  —  and  in  excellent  humour !  He  is 
awaiting  you,  Marquis,  —  permit  me  to  escort  you  to 
him !  " 

The  carved  and  gilded  doors  of  the  Royal  audience- 
chamber  were  thereupon  flung  back,  and  the  Marquis  en- 
tered, ushered  in  by  De  Launay.  The  doors  closed  again 
upon  them  both  ;  and  for  some  time  there  was  profound 
silence  in  the  King's  corridor,  no  intruder  venturing  to 
approach  save  two  gentlemen-at-arms,  who  paced  slowly 
up  and  down  at  either  end  on  guard.  At  the  expiration 
of  about  an  hour,  Sir  Roger  came  out  alone,  and,  glanc- 
ing carelessly  around  him,   strolled  to  the  head  of  the 


136  "  Temporal  Power' 

grand  staircase,  and  waited  patiently  there  for  quite 
another  thirty  minutes.  At  last  the  doors  were  flung  open 
widely  again,  and  the  King  himself  appeared,  clad  in 
easy  yachting  attire,  and  walking  with  one  hand  resting 
on  the  arm  of  the  Marquis  de  Lutera,  who,  from  his  ex- 
pression, seemed  curiously  perturbed. 

"  Then  you  will  not  come  with  us,  Marquis?  "  said  the 
King,  with  an  air  of  gaiety ;  '  You  are  too  much  en- 
grossed in  the  affairs  of  Government  to  break  loose  for  an 
afternoon  from  politics  for  the  sake  of  pleasure?  Ah, 
well !  You  are  a  matchless  worker !  Renowned  as  you 
are  for  your  studious  observation  of  all  that  may  tend  to 
the  advancement  of  the  nation's  interests  —  admired  as 
you  are  for  the  complete  sacrifice  of  all  your  own  ad- 
vantages to  the  better  welfare  of  the  country,  I  will  not 
(though  I  might  as  your  sovereign),  command  your  at- 
tendance on  this  occasion !  I  know  the  affairs  you  have 
in  hand  are  pressing  and  serious !  '•' 

"  They  will  be  more  than  usually  so.  Sir,"  said  the 
Marquis  in  a  low  voice;  "  for  if  you  persist  in  maintain- 
ing your  present  attitude,  the  foreign  controversy  in 
which  we  are  engaged  can  scarcely  go  on.  But  your 
action  will  be  questioned  by  the  Government !  '' 

The  King  laughed. 

"  Good !  By  all  means  question  it,  my  dear  Marquis ! 
Prove  me  an  unconstitutional  monarch,  if  you  like,  and 
put  Humphry  on  the  throne  in-  my  place,  ■ —  but  ask  the 
People  first!  If  they  condemn  me,  I  am  satisfied  to  be 
condemned !  But  the  present  political  difference  between 
ourselves  and  a  friendly  nation  must  be  arranged  without 
offence.  There  does  not  exist  at  the  moment  any  reason- 
able cause  for  fanning  the  dispute  into  a  flame  of  war." 
—  He  paused,  then  resumed  —  "  You  will  not  come  with 
us  ?  " 

"  Sir,  if  you  will  permit  me  to  refuse  the  honour  on 
this  occasion " 

'  The  permission  is  granted !  "  replied  the  King,  still 
smiling ;  "  Farewell,  Marquis !  We  are  not  in  the  habit 
of  absenting  ourselves  from  our  own  country,  after  the 
fashion  of  certain  of  our  Royal  neighbours,  who  shall  be 
nameless;  and  we  conceive  it  our  duty  to  make  ourselves 
acquainted  with  the  habits  and  customs  of  all  our  sub- 


The  Premier's  Signet         137 

jects  in  all  quarters  of  our  realm.  Hence  our  resolve  to 
visit  The  Islands,  which,  to  our  shame  be  it  said,  we  have 
neglected  until  now.  We  expect  to  derive  both  pleasure 
and  instruction  from  the  brief  voyage !  ''' 

"  Are  the  islanders  aware  of  your  intention,  Sir?"  en- 
quired the  Marquis. 

"  Nay --to  prepare  them  would  have  spoilt  our  pleas- 
ure! "  replied  the  King-.  "We  will  take  them  by  sur- 
prise !  We  have  heard  of  certain  countries,  whose  villages 
and  towns  have  never  seen  the  reigning  sovereign, -- and 
though  we  have  been  but  three  years  on  the  throne,  we 
have  resolved  that  no  corner  of  our  kingdom  shall  lack 
the  sunlight  of  our  presence !  "  He  gave  a  mirthful  side- 
glance  at  De  Launay.  Then,  extending  his  hand  cor- 
dially, he  added :  "  May  all  success  attend  your  efforts, 
Marquis,  to  smooth  over  this  looming  quarrel  between 
ourselves  and  our  friendly  trade-rivals !  I,  for  one, 
would  not  have  it  go  further.  I  shall  see  you  again  at 
the  Council  during  the  week.'' 

As  the  premier's  hand  met  that  of  his  Sovereign,  the 
latter  exclaimed  suddenly  : 

"  Ah  !  —  I  thought  I  missed  a  customary  friend  from 
my  finger ;  I  have  forgotten  my  signet-ring !  Will  you 
lend  me  yours  for  to-day.  Marquis  ?  " 

"  Sir,  if  you  will  deign  to  wear  it !  "  replied  the  Mar- 
quis readily,  and  at  once  slipping  off  the  ring  in  question, 
he  handed  it  to  the  King,  who  smilingly  accepted  it  and 
put  it  on. 

"  A  fine  sapphire !  "  he  said  approvingly  ;  '  Better,  I 
think,  than  my  ruby  !  " 

"  Sir,  your  praise  enhances  its  value,"  said  De  Lutera 
bowing  profoundly ;  "I  shall  from  henceforth  esteem  it 
priceless !  " 

"Well  said!"  returned  the  King,  "And  rightly  too! 
—  for  diplomacy  is  wise  in  flattering  a  king  to  the  last, 
even  while  meditating  on  his  possible  downfall !  Adieu, 
Marquis !  ■  When  we  next  meet,  I  shall  expect  good 
news !  " 

He  descended  the  staircase,  closely  attended  by  De 
Launay,  and  passed  at  once  into  a  larger  room  of  audi- 
ence, where  some  notable  persons  of  foreign  distinction 
were  waiting  to  be  received.     On  the  way  thither,  how- 


138  "Temporal  Power' 

ever,  he  turned  to  Sir  Roger  for  a  moment,  and  held  up 
the  hand  on  which  the  Marquis  de  Lutera's  signet  flashed 
like  a  blue  point  of  flame. 

'  Behold  the  Premier's  signet !  "  he  said  with  a  smile ; 
"  Methinks,  for  once,  it  suits  the  King !  " 


CHAPTER    X 

THE    ISLANDS 

SURROUNDED  by  a  boundless  width  of  dark  blue 
sea  at  all  visible  points  of  view,  The  Islands,  lovely 
tufts  of  wooded  rock,  trees,  and  full-flowering  meadow- 
lands,  were  situated  in  such  a  happy  position  as  to  be 
well  out  of  all  possibility  of  modern  innovation  or  im- 
provement. They  were  too  small  to  contain  much  attrac- 
tion for  the  curious  tourist ;  and  though  they  were  only 
a  two-hours'  sail  from  the  mainland,  the  distance  was  just 
sufficiently  inconvenient  to  keep  mere  sight-seers  away. 
For  more  than  a  hundred  years  they  had  been  almost  ex- 
clusively left  to  the  coral-fishers,  who  had  made  their  hab- 
itation there  ;  and  the  quaint,  small  houses,  and  flowering 
vineyards  and  gardens,  dotted  about  in  the  more  fertile 
portions  of  the  soil,  had  all  been  built  and  planned  by  a 
former  race  of  these  hardy  folk,  who  had  handed  their 
properties  down  from  father  to  son.  They  were  on  the 
whole,  a  peaceable  community.  Coral-fishing  was  one  of 
the  chief  industries  of  the  country,  and  the  islanders 
passed  all  their  days  in  obtaining  the  precious  product, 
clean  sing,  and  preparing  it  for  the  market.  They  were 
understood  to  be  extremely  jealous  of  strangers  and  in- 
truders, and  to  hold  certain  social  traditions  which  had 
never  been  questioned  or  interfered  with  by  any  form  of 
existing  government,  because  in  themselves  they  gave  no 
cause  for  interference,  being  counted  among  the  most 
orderly  and  law-abiding  subjects  of  the  realm.  Very 
little  interest  was  taken  in  their  doings  by  the  people  of 
the  mainland,  —  scarcely  as  much  interest,  perhaps,  as  is 
taken  by  Londoners  in  the  inhabitants  of  Orkney  or  Shet- 
land. One  or  two  scholars,  a  stray  botanist  here  and 
there,  or  a  few  students  fond  of  adventure,  had  visited 
the  place  now  and  again,  and  some  of  these  had  brought 


140  "Temporal  Power' 

back  enthusiastic  accounts  of  the  loveliness  of  the  natural 
scenery,  but  where  a  whole  country  is  beautiful,  little 
heed  is  given  to  one  small  corner  of  it,  particularly  if  that 
corner  is  difficult  of  access,  necessitating  a  two  hours' 
sail  across  a  not  always  calm  sea.  Vague  reports  were 
current  that  there  was  a  strange  house  on  The  Islands, 
built  very  curiously  out  of  the  timbers  and  spars  of 
wrecked  vessels.  The  owner  of  this  abode  was  said  to 
be  a  man  of  advanced  age,  whose  history  was  unknown, 
but  who  many  years  ago  had  been  cast  ashore  from  a 
great  shipwreck,  and  had  been  rescued  and  revived  by 
the  coral-fishers,  since  when,  he  had  lived  among  them, 
and  worked  with  them.  No  one  knew  anything  about 
him  beyond  that  since  his  advent  The  Islands  had  been 
more  cultivated,  and  their  inhabitants  more  prosperous ; 
and  that  he  was  understood  to  be,  in  the  language  or  dia- 
lect of  the  country,  a  '  life-philosopher.'  Whereat,  hear- 
ing these  things  by  chance  now  and  then,  or  seeing  a 
scrappy  line  or  two  in  the  daily  press  when  active  re- 
porters had  no  murders  or  suicides  to  enlarge  upon,  and 
wanted  to  '  fill  up  space,'  the  gay  aristocrats  or  '  smart 
set  '  of  the  metropolis  laughed  at  their  dinner-parties  and 
balls,  and  asked  one  another  inanely,  "  What  is  a  '  life- 
philosopher  '  ?  " 

In  the  same  way,  when  a  small  volume  of  poetry,  burn- 
ing as  lava,  wild  as  a  storm-wind,  came  floating  out  on 
the  top  of  the  seething  soup  of  current  literature,  bearing 
the  name  of  Paul  Zouche,  and  it  was  said  that  this  person 
was  a  poet,  they  questioned  smilingly,  "  Is  he  dead?  "  for, 
naturally,  they  could  not  imagine  these  modern  days  were 
capable  of  giving  birth  to  a  living  specimen  of  the  genus 
bard.  For  they,  too,  had  their  motor-cars  from  France 
and  England ;  —  they,  too,  had  their  gambling-dens  se- 
creted in  private  houses  of  high  repute,  —  they,  too,  had 
their  country-seats  specially  indicated  as  free  to  such 
house-parties  as  wished  to  indulge  in  low  intrigue  and 
unbridled  licentiousness ;  they,  too,  weary  of  simple 
Christianity,  had  their  own  special  'religions'  of  palm- 
istry, crystal-gazing,  fortune-telling  by  cards,  and  Eso- 
teric '  faith-healing.'  The  days  were  passing  with  them 
—  as  it  passes  with  many  of  their  '  set  '  in  other  coun- 
tries, —  in  complete  forgetfulness  of  all  the  nobler  ambi- 


The  Islands  141 

tions  and  emotions  which  lift  Man  above  the  level  of  his 
companion  Beast.  For  the  time  is  now  upon  ns  when 
what  has  formerly  been  kn<  >\vn  as  '  high  '  is  of  its  own 
accord  sinking  to  the  low,  and  what  has  been  called  the 
'low'  is  rising  to  the  high.  Strange  times!  —  strange 
days !  -  when  the  tradesman  can  scorn  the  duchess  on 
account  of  her  '  dirty  mind  ' —  when  a  certain  nobleman 
can  get  no  honest  labourers  to  work  on  his  estate,  because 
they  suspect  him  of  '  rooking  '  young  college  lads  ;  —  and 
when  a  church  in  a  seaport  town  stands  empty  every  Sun- 
day, with  its  bells  ringing  in  vain,  because  the  congrega- 
tion which  should  fill  it,  know  that  their  so-called  '  holy 
man '  is  a  rascal !  All  over  the  world  this  rebellion  against 
Falsehood,  —  this  movement  towards  Truth  is  felt,  —  all 
over  the  world  the  people  are  growing  strong  on  their 
legs,  and  clear  in  their  brains ;  —  no  longer  cramped  and 
stunted  starvelings,  they  are  gradually  developing  into  full 
growth,  and  awaking  to  intelligent  action.  And  wherever 
the  dominion  of  priestcraft  has  been  destroyed,  there  they 
are  found  at  their  best  and  bravest,  with  a  glimmering 
dawn  of  the  true  Christian  spirit  beginning  to  lighten 
their  darkness,  —  a  spirit  which  has  no  race  or  sect,  but 
is  all-embracing,  all-loving,  and  all-benevolent;  —  which 
'  thinketh  no  evil,"  but  is  so  nobly  sufficing  in  its  tender- 
ness and  patience,  as  to  persuade  the  obstinate,  govern 
the  unruly,  and  recover  the  lost,  by  the  patient  influence 
of  its  own  example.  On  the  reverse  side  of  the  medal, 
wherever  we  see  priestcraft  dominant,  there  we  see  igno- 
rance and  corruption,  vice  and  hypocrisy,  and  such  a  low 
standard  of  morals  and  education  as  is  calculated  to  keep 
the  soul  a  slave  in  irons,  with  no  possibility  of  any  intel- 
lectual escape  into  the  '  glorious  liberty  of  the  free.' 

The  afternoon  was  one  of  exceptional  brilliance  and 
freshness,  when,  punctually  at  three  o'clock,  the  Royal 
yacht  hoisted  sail,  and  dipped  gracefully  away  from  the 
quay  with  their  Majesties  on  board,  amid  the  cheers  of 
an  enthusiastic  crowd.  A  poet  might  have  sung  of  the 
scene  in  fervid  rhyme,  so  pretty  and  gay  were  all  the 
surroundings,  —  the  bright  skies,  the  dancing  sea,  the  fly- 
ing flags  and  streamers,  and  the  soft  music  of  the 
Court  orchestra,  a  band  of  eight  players  on  stringed  in- 
struments, which  accompanied  the  Royal  party  on  their 


142  "Temporal  Power' 

voyage  of  pleasure.  The  Queen  stood  on  deck,  leaning 
against  the  mast,  her  eyes  fixed  on  the  shore,  as  the  vessel 
swung  round,  and  bore  away  towards  the  west ;  —  the 
people,  elbowing  each  other,  and  climbing  up  on  each 
other's  shoulders  and  on  the  posts  of  the  quay,  merely 
to  get  a  passing  glimpse  of  her  beauty,  all  loyally  cheer- 
ing and  waving  their  hats  and  handkerchiefs,  were  as  in- 
different to  her  sight  and  soul  as  an  ant-heap  in  a  garden 
walk.  She  had  accustomed  her  mind  to  dwell  on  things 
beyond  life,  and  life  itself  had  little  interest  for  her.  This 
was  because  she  had  been  set  among  the  shams  of  worldly 
state  and  ceremonial  from  her  earliest  years,  and  being 
of  a  profound  and  thoughtful  nature,  had  grown  up  to 
utterly  despise  the  hollowness  and  hypocrisy  of  her  sur- 
roundings. In  extenuation  of  the  coldness  of  her  tem- 
perament, it  may  be  said  that  her  rooted  aversion  to  men 
arose  from  having  studied  them  too  closely  and  accu- 
rately. In  her  marriage  she  had  fulfilled,  or  thought  she 
had  fulfilled,  a  mere  duty  to  the  State  —  no  more ;  and 
the  easy  conduct  of  her  husband  during  his  apprentice- 
ship to  the  throne  as  Heir-Apparent,  had  not  tended  in 
any  way  to  show  her  anything  particularly  worthy  of 
admiration  or  respect  in  his  character.  And  so  she  had 
gone  on  her  chosen  way,  removed  and  apart  from  his,  — 
and  the  years  had  flown  by,  and  now  she  was,  —  as  she 
said  to  herself  with  a  little  touch  of  contempt,  —  '  old  — 
for  a  woman  !  '  —  while  the  King  remained  '  young,  — 
for  a  man  !  '  This  was  a  mortifying  reflection.  True, 
her  beauty  was  more  perfect  than  in  her  youth,  and  there 
were  no  signs  as  yet  of  its  decay.  She  knew  well  enough 
the  extent  of  her  charm,  —  she  knew  how  easily  she  could 
command  homage  wherever  she  went,  —  and  knowing, 
she  did  not  care.  Or  rather  —  she  had  not  cared.  Was 
it  possible  she  would  ever  care,  and  perhaps  at  a  time 
when  it  was  no  use  caring?  A  certain  irritability,  quite 
foreign  to  her  usual  composure,  fevered  her  blood,  and 
it  arose  from  one  simple  admission  which  she  had  been 
forced  to  make  to  herself  within  the  last  few  days,  and 
this  was,  that  her  husband  was  as  much  her  kingly  supe- 
rior in  heart  and  mind  as  he  was  in  rank  and  power.  She 
had  never  till  now  imagined  him  capable  of  performing  a 
brave  deed,  or  pursuing  an  independently  noble  course  of 


The  Islands  143 

action.  Throughout  all  the  days  of  his  married  life  he 
had  followed  the  ordinary  routine  of  his  business  or 
pleasure  with  scarce  a  break, --in  winter  to  his  country 
seat  on  the  most  southern  coast  of  his  southern  land,  — 
in  spring-  to  the  capital,  —  in  full  summer  to  some  fash- 
ionable '  bath  '  or  '  cure,'-  -in  autumn  to  different  great 
houses  for  the  purpose  of  shooting  other  people's  game 
by  their  obsequious  invitation,  —  and  in  the  entire  round 
he  had  never  shown  himself  capable  of  much  more  than 
a  flirtation  with  the  prettiest  or  the  most  pushing  new 
beauty,  or  a  daring  ride  on  the  latest  invention  for  travel- 
ling at  lightning  speed.  She  had  noticed  a  certain  change 
in  him  since  he  had  ascended  the  throne,  but  she  had  at- 
tributed this  to  the  excessive  boredom  of  having  to  attend 
to  State  affairs. 

Now,  however,  all  at  once  and  without  warning,  this 
change  had  developed  into  what  was  evidently  likely  to 
prove  a  complete  transformation  —  and  he  had  surprised 
her  into  an  involuntary,  and  more  or  less  reluctant  ad- 
miration of  cpialities  which  she  had  never  hitherto  sus- 
pected in  him.  She  had  consented  to  join  him  on  this 
occasion  in  his  trip  to  The  Islands,  in  order  to  try  and 
fathom  the  actual  drift  of  his  intentions,  —  for  his  idea 
that  their  son.  Prince  Humphry,  had  yielded  to  some  par- 
ticular feminine  attraction  there,  piqued  her  curiosity  even 
more  than  her  interest.  She  turned  away  now  from  her 
observation  of  the  shore,  as  it  receded  on  the  horizon  and 
became  a  mere  thin  line  of  light  which  vanished  in  its 
turn  as  the  vessel  curtsied  onward  ;  and  she  moved  to 
the  place  prepared  for  her  accommodation — -a  sheltered 
corner  of  the  deck,  covered  by  silken  awnings,  and  sup- 
plied with  luxurious  deck  chairs  and  footstools.  Here  two 
of  her  ladies  were  waiting  to  attend  upon  her,  but  none  of 
the  rougher  sex  she  so  heartily  abhorred.  As  she  seated 
herself  among  her  cushions  with  her  usual  indolent  grace, 
she  raised  her  eyes  and  saw,  standing  at  a  respectful  dis- 
tance from  her,  a  distinguished  personage  who  had  but 
lately  arrived  at  the  Court,  from  England,  —  Sir  Walter 
Langton,  a  daring  traveller  and  explorer  in  far  countries, 
—  one  who  had  earned  high  distinction  at  the  point  of 
the  sword.  He  had  been  presented  to  her  some  evenings 
since,  among  a  crowd  of  other  notabilities,  and  she  had, 


144  "Temporal  Power' 

as  was  her  usual  custom  with  all  men,  scarcely  given  him 
a  passing  glance.  Now  as  she  regarded  him,  she  sud- 
denly decided,  out  of  the  merest  whim,  to  call  him  to  her 
side.  She  sent  one  of  her  ladies  to  him,  charged  with 
her  invitation  to  approach  and  take  his  seat  near  her.  He 
hastened  to  obey,  with  some  surprise,  and  no  little  pleas- 
ure. He  was  a  handsome  man  of  about  forty,  sun- 
browned  and  keen  of  eye,  with  a  grave  intellectual  face 
after  the  style  of  a  Vandyk  portrait,  and  a  kindly  smile ; 
and  he  was  happily  devoid  of  all  that  unbecoming  offi- 
ciousness  and  obsequiousness  which  some  persons  affect 
when  in  the  presence  of  Royalty.  He  bowed  profoundly 
as  the  Queen  received  him,  saying  to  him  with  a  smile :  — 

'  You  are  a  stranger  here,  Sir  Walter  Langton !  —  I 
cannot  allow  you  to  feel  solitary  in  our  company !  ' 

'  Is  it  possible  for  anyone  to  feel  solitary  when  you  are 
near,  Madam  ? '  returned  Sir  Walter  gallantly,  as  he 
obeyed  the  gesture  with  which  she  motioned  him  to  be 
seated ;  —  "  You  must  be  weary  of  hearing  that  even  your 
silent  presence  is  sufficient  to  fill  space  with  melody  and 
charm !  And  I  am  not  altogether  a  stranger ;  I  know 
this  country  well,  though  I  have  never  till  now  had  the 
honour  of  visiting  its  ruling  sovereign." 

'  It  is  very  unlike  England,"  said  the  Queen,  slowly 
unfurling  her  fan  of  soft  white  plumage  and  waving  it 
to  and  fro. 

"  Very  unlike,  indeed !  "  he  agreed,  and  a  musing  ten- 
derness darkened  his  fine  hazel  eyes  as  he  gazed  out  on 
the  sparkling  sea. 

'  You  like  England  best?  "  resumed  the  Queen. 

'Madam,  1  am  an  Englishman!  To  me  there  is  no 
land  so  fair,  or  so  much  worth  living  and  dying  for,  as 
England !  " 

'  Yet  —  I  suppose,  like  all  your  countrymen,  you  are 
fond  of  change?  " 

'  Yes  —  and  no,  Madam  !  v  replied  Langton.  —  "  In 
truth,  if  I  am  to  speak  frankly,  it  is  only  during  the  last 
thirty  or  forty  years  that  my  countrymen  have  blotted 
their  historical  scutcheons  by  this  fondness  for  change. 
Where  travelling  is  necessary  for  the  attainment  of  some 
worthy  object,  then  it  is  wise  and  excellent,  —  but  where 
it  is  only  for  the  purpose  of  distracting  a  self-satiated 


The  Islands  145 


mind,  it  is  of  no  avail,  and  indeed  frequently  does  more 
harm  than  good." 

"Self-satiated!"  repeated  the  Queen,  —  "Is  not  that 
a  strange  word  ?  " 

"  It  is  the  only  compound  expression  I  can  use  to  de- 
scribe the  discontented  humour  in  which  the  upper  classes 
of  English  society  exist  to-day,"  replied  Sir  Walter. 
"  For  many  years  the  soul  of  England  has  been  held  in 
chains  by  men  whose  thoughts  are  all  Of  Self,  —  the 
honour  of  England  has  been  attainted  by  women  whose 
lives  are  moulded  from  first  to  last  on  Self.  To  me,  per- 
sonally, England  is  everything,  —  I  have  no  thought  out- 
side it  —  no  wish  beyond  it.  Yet  I  am  as  ashamed  of 
some  of  its  leaders  of  opinion  to-day,  as  if  I  saw  my  own 
mother  dragged  in  the  dust  and  branded  with  infamy !  " 

"  You  speak  of  your  Government?"  began  the  Queen. 

"  No,  Madam,  —  I  have  no  more  quarrel  with  my  coun- 
try's present  Government  than  I  could  have  with  a  child 
who  is  led  into  a  ditch  by  its  nurse.  It  is  a  weak  and  cor- 
rupted Government ;  and  its  actual  rulers  are  vile  and 
abandoned  women." 

The  Queen's  eyes  opened  in  a  beautiful,  startled  won- 
derment ;  —  this  man's  clear,  incisive  manner  of  speech 
interested  her. 

"Women!"  she  echoed,  then  smiled;  'You  speak 
strongly,  Sir  Walter !  I  have  certainly  heard  of  the  '  ad- 
vanced '  women  who  push  themselves  so  much  forward 
in  your  country,  but  I  had  no  idea  they  were  so  mischiev- 
ous!    Are  they  to  be  admired?    Or  pitied?  " 

"Pitied,  Madam,  —  most  sincerely  pitied!"  returned 
Sir  Walter ;  —  "  But  such  misguided  simpletons  as  these 
are  not  the  creatures  who  rule,  or  play  with,  or  poison 
the  minds  of  the  various  members  who  compose  our  Gov- 
ernment. The  'advanced'  women,  poor  souls,  do  nothing 
but  talk  platitudes.  They  are  perfectly  harmless.  They 
have  no  power  to  persuade  men,  because  in  nine  cases 
out  of  ten,  they  have  neither  wit  nor  beauty.  And  with- 
out either  of  these  two  charms,  Madam,  it  is  difficult  to 
put  even  a  clever  cobbler,  much  less  a  Prime  Minister, 
into  leading  strings  !  No,  —  it  is  the  spendthrift  women 
of  a  corrupt  society  that  I  mean,  —  the  women  who  pos- 
sess beauty,  and  are  conscious  of  it, --the  women  who 

10 


146  Temporal  Power 


•>  ^ 


have  a  mordant  wit  and  use  it  for  dangerous  purposes 

—  the  women  who  give  up  their  homes,  their  husbands, 
their  children  and  their  reputations  for  the  sake  of  vil- 
lainous intrigue,  and  the  feverish  excitement  of  specu- 
lative money-making ;  —  with  these  —  and  with  the 
stealthy  spread  of  Romanism,  —  will  come  the  ruin  of 
my  country !  " 

"  So  grave  as  all  that ! "  said  the  Queen  lightly  ;  — "  But, 
surely,  Sir  Walter,  if  you  see  ruin  and  disaster  threaten- 
ing so  great  an  Empire  in  the  far  distance,  you  and  other 
wise  men  of  your  land  are  able  to  stave  it  off?  " 

'Madam,-  I  have  no  power!''  he  returned  bitterly. 
'  Those  who  have  thought  and  worked, — those  who  are 
able  to  see  what  is  coming  by  the  light  of  past  experience, 
are  seldom  listened  to,  or  if  they  get  a  hearing,  they  are 
not  seldom  ridiculed  and  '  laughed  down.'  Till  a  strong 
man  speaks,  we  must  all  remain  dumb.  There  is  no  real 
Government  in  England  at  present,  just  as  there  is  no  real 
Church.  The  Government  is  made  up  of  directly  self- 
interested  speculators  and  financiers  rather  than  diplo- 
matists, —  the  Church,  for  which  our  forefathers  fought, 
is  yielding  to  the  bribery  of  Rome.     It  is  a  time  of  Sham, 

—  sham  politics,  and  sham  religion !  We  have  fallen 
upon  evil  days, --and  unless  the  people  rise,  as  it  is  to 
be  hoped  to  God  they  will,  serious  danger  threatens  the 
glory  and  the  honour  of  England  !  " 

'  Would  you  desire  revolution  and  bloodshed,  then  ?  " 
enquired  the  Queen,  becoming  more  and  more  interested 
as  she  saw  that  this  Englishman  did  not,  like  most  of  his 
sex,  pass  the  moments  in  gazing  at  her  in  speechless  ad- 
miration, —  "  Surely  not !  " 

'  I  would  have  revolution,  Madam,  but  not  blood- 
shed," he  replied;  —  "I  think  my  countrymen  are  too 
well  grounded  in  common-sense  to  care  for  any  move- 
ment which  could  bring  about  internal  dissension  or  riot, 

—  but,  at  the  same  time,  I  believe  their  native  sense  of 
justice  is  great  enough  to  resist  tyranny  and  wrong  and 
falsehood,  even  to  the  death.     I  would  have  a  revolution 

—  yes  —  but  a  silent  and  bloodless  one!'-' 

"  And  how  would  you  begin  ?  "  asked  the  Queen. 
'The  People  must  begin,   Madam!"  he  answered;  — 
"  All  reforms  must  begin  and  end  with  the  People  only! 


The  Islands  147 

For  example,  if  the  People  would  decline  to  attend  any 
church  where  the  incumbent  is  known  to  encourage  prac- 
tices which  are  disloyal  to  the  faith  of  the  land,  such  dis- 
loyalty would  soon  cease.  If  the  majority  of  women 
would  refuse  to  know,  or  to  receive,  any  woman  of  high 
position  who  had  voluntarily  disgraced  herself,  they 
would  soon  put  a  stop  to  the  lax  morality  of  the  upper 
classes.  If  our  builders,  artisans  and  mechanics  would 
club  together,  and  refuse  to  make  guns  or  ships  for  our 
enemies  in  foreign  countries,  we  should  not  run  the  risk  of 
being  one  day  hoisted  with  our  own  petard.  In  any  case, 
the  work  of  Revolution  rests  with  the  people,  though  it  is 
quite  true  they  need  teachers  to  show  them  how  to  begin." 

"  And  are  these  teachers  forthcoming?  " 

"  I  think  so  !"  said  Sir  Walter  meditatively.  "Through- 
out all  history,  as  far  back  as  we  can  trace  it,  whenever  a 
serious  reform  has  been  needed  in  either  society  or  gov- 
ernment, there  has  always  been  found  a  leader  to  head  the 
movement." 

The  Queen's  beautiful  eyes  rested  upon  him  with  a  cer- 
tain curiosity. 

"  What  of  your  King?  "  she  said. 

"  Madam,  he  is  my  King!  "  he  replied,  —  "  And  I  serve 
him  faithfully !  " 

She  was  silent.  She  began  to  wonder  whether  he  had 
any  private  motive  to  gain,  any  place  he  sought  to  fill,  that 
he  should  assume  such  a  touch-me-not  air  at  this  stray 
allusion  to  his  Sovereign. 

"  Lese-majeste  is  so  common  nowadays!  "  she  mused; 
—  "  It  is  such  an  ordinary  thing  to  hear  vulgar  parvenus 
talk  of  their  king  as  if  he  were  a  public-house  companion 
of  theirs,  that  it  is  somewhat  remarkable  to  find  one  who 
speaks  of  his  monarch  with  loyalty  and  respect.  I  sup- 
pose, however,  like  everyone  else,  he  has  his  own  ends  to 
serve !  Kings  are  the  last  persons  in  the  world  who  can 
command  absolute  fidelity !  " 

She  glanced  dreamily  over  the  sea.  and  perceiving  a 
slight  shade  of  weariness  on  her  face,  Sir  Walter  dis- 
creetly rose,  craving  her  permission  to  retire  to  the  saloon, 
where  he  had  promised  to  join  the  King.  When  he  had 
left  her,  she  turned  to  one  of  her  ladies,  the  Countess 
Amabil,  and  remarked : 


148         "  Temporal  Power  ' 

"  A  very  personable  gentleman,  is  he  not  ?  ' 

"  Madam,"  rejoined  the  Countess,  who  was  very  lovely 
in  herself,  and  of  a  bright  and  sociable  disposition;  —  "  I 
have  often  thought  it  would  be  more  pleasant  and  profit- 
able for  all  of  us  if  we  had  many  such  personable  gentle- 
men with  us  oftener !  " 

A  slight  frown  of  annoyance  crossed  the  Queen's  face. 
The  Countess  was  a  very  charming  lady ;  very  fascinat- 
ing in  her  own  way,  but  her  decided  predilection  for  the 
sterner  sex  often  led  her  to  touch  on  dangerous  ground 
with  her  Royal  mistress.  This  time,  however,  she  escaped 
the  chilling  retort  her  remark  might  possibly,  on  another 
occasion,  have  called  down  upon  her.  The  Queen  said 
nothing.  She  sat  watching  the  sea,  —  and  now  and  again 
took  up  her  field-glass  to"  study  the  picturesque  coast  of 
The  Islands,  which  was  rapidly  coming  into  view.  Teresa 
de  Launay,  the  second  lady  in  attendance  on  her,  was 
reading,  and,  seeing  her  quite  absorbed  in  her  book,  the 
Queen  presently  asked  her  what  it  contained. 
~  "  You  have  smiled  twice  over  that  book,  Teresa,"  she 
said  kindly;  —  "  What  is  it  about?" 

"Madam,  it  speaks  of  love!"  replied  Teresa,  still 
smiling. 

"  And  love  makes  you  smile?  " 

"  I  would  rather  smile  than  weep  over  it,  Madam !  "  re- 
plied Teresa,  with  a  slight  colour  warming  her  fair  face ; 

—  "  But  as  concerns  this  book,  I  smile,  because  it  is  full 
of  such  foolish  verses,  —  as  light  and  sweet  —  and  almost 
as  cloying,- — as  French  fondants!" 

"  Let  me  hear !  "  said  the  Queen ;  "  Read  me  a  few 
lines." 

'•  This  one,  called  '  A  Canzonet  '  is  brief  enough  for 
your  Majesty's  immediate  consideration,"  replied  Teresa; 

—  "  It  is  just  such  a  thing  as  a  man  might  scribble  in  his 
note-book  after  a  bout  of  champagne,  when  he  is  in  love 
for  ten  minutes  !  He  would  not  mean  a  word  of  it,  —  but 
it  might  sound  pretty  by  moonlight !  "  Whereupon  she 
read  aloud :  — 

My  Lady  is  pleased  to  smile, 

And  the  world  is  glad  and  gay  ;  , 

My  Lady  is  pleased  to  weep  ;  — 
And  it  rains  the  livelong  day! 


The  Islands  149 


My  Lady  is  pleased  to  hate, 

And  I  lose  my  life  and  my  breath  ; 

My  Lady  is  pleased  to  love,  — 
And  I  am  the  master  of  Death  ! 

I  know  that  my  Lady  is  Love, 

By  the  magical  light  about  her; 
I  know  that  my  Lady  is  Life, 

Lor  I  cannot  live  without  her ! 

"  And  you  do  not  think  any  man  would  truly  mean  as 
much  love  as  this  ?  "  queried  the  Queen. 

"Oh,  Madam,  you  know  he  would  not!  If  he  had 
written  such  lines  about  the  joys  of  dining,  or  the  flavour 
of  an  excellent  cigar,  they  might  then  indeed  be  taken  as 
an  expression  of  his  truest  and  deepest  feeling !  But  his 
4  Lady  ' !  Bah  !  She  is  a  mere  myth,  —  a  temporary  peg 
1:o  hang  a  stray  emotion  on !  " 

She  laughed,  and  her  laughter  rippled  merrily  on  the  air. 
'  I  do  not  think  the  men  who  write  so  easily  about  love 
can  ever  truly  feel  it,"  she  went  on  ;  —  "  Those  who  really 
love  must  surely  be  quite  unable  to  express  themselves. 
This  man  who  sings  about  his  '  Lady  '  being  pleased  to 
do  this  or  do  that,  was  probably  trying  to  obtain  the  good 
graces  of  some  pretty  housemaid  or  chorus  girl !  " 

A  slight  contemptuous  smile  crossed  the  Queen's  face ; 
from  her  expression  it  was  evident  that  she  agreed  in  the 
main  with  the  opinion  of  her  vivacious  lady-in-waiting. 
Just  at  that  moment  the  King  and  his  suite,  with  Sir 
Walter  Langton  and  one  or  two  other  gentlemen,  who 
had  been  invited  to  join  the  party,  came  up  from  the 
saloon,  and  the  conversation  became  general. 

"  Have  you  seen  Humphry  at  all  to-day?  "  enquired  the 
King  aside  of  De  Launay.  "  I  sent  him  an  early  message 
asking  him  to  join  us,  and  was  told  he  had  gone  out  rid- 
ing.    Is  that  true?  " 

'  I  have  not  seen  his  Royal  Highness  since  the  morn- 
ing, Sir,"  replied  the  equerry;  '  He  then  met  me,  —  and 
Professor  von  Glauben  also  —  in  the  gardens.  He  gave 
me  no  hint  as  to  whether  he  knew  of  your  intention  to 
sail  to  The  Islands  this  afternoon  or  not ;  he  was  reading, 
and  with  some  slight  discussion  on  the  subject  of  the  book 
he  was  interested  in,  he  and  the  Professor  strolled  away 
together." 


150         "Temporal  Power 


"  But  where  is  Von  Glauben?  "  pursued  the  King;  "  I 
sent  for  him  likewise,  but  he  was  absent." 

'  I  understood  him  to  say  that  you  had  not  commanded 
his  attendance  again  to-day,  Sir,"  replied  Sir  Roger ;  — 
"  He  told  me  he  had  already  waited  upon  you." 

"  Certainly  I  did  not  command  his  attendance  when  I 
saw  him  the  first  thing  this  morning,"  replied  the  King; 
"  I  summoned  him  then  merely  to  satisfy  his  scruples 
concerning  my  health  and  safety,  as  he  seemed  last  night 
to  have  doubts  of  both !  "  He  smiled,  and  his  eyes 
twinkled  humourously.  "  Later  on,  I  requested  him  to 
join  us  in  this  excursion,  but  his  servant  said  he  had 
gone  out,  leaving  no  word  as  to  when  he  would  return. 
An  eccentricity !    I  suppose  he  must  be  humoured  !  " 

Sir  Roger  was  silent.  The  King  looked  at  him  nar- 
rowly, and  saw  that  there  was  something  in  his  thoughts 
which  he  was  not  inclined  to  utter,  and  with  wise  tact  and 
discretion  forbore  to  press  any  more  questions  upon  him. 
It  was  not  a  suitable  time  for  cross-examination,  even  of 
the  most  friendly  kind  ;  there  were  too  many  persons  near 
at  hand  who  might  be  disposed  to  listen  and  to  form  con- 
jectures; moreover  the  favouring  wind  had  so  aided  the 
Royal  yacht  in  her  swift  course  that  The  Islands  were 
now  close  at  hand,  and  the  harbour  visible,  the  run  across 
from  the  mainland  having  been  accomplished  under  the 
usual  two  hours. 

The  King  scanned  the  coast  through  his  glass  with 
some  interest. 

'  We  shall  obtain  amusement  from  this  unprepared 
trip,"  he  said,  addressing  the  friends  who  were  gathered 
round  him ;  '  We  have  forbidden  any  announcement  of 
our  visit  here,  and,  therefore,  we  shall  receive  no  recog- 
nition, or  welcome.  We  shall  have  to  take  the  people  as 
we  find  them  !  " 

'  Let  us  hope  they  will  prove  themselves  agreeable. 
Sir,''  said  one  of  the  suite,  the  Marquis  Montala,  a  some- 
what effeminate  elegant-looking  man,  with  small  deli- 
cate features  and  lazily  amorous  eyes,  —  "  And  that  the 
women  of  the  place  will  not  be  too  alarmingly  hideous." 

'Women  are  always  women,"  said  the  King  gaily; 
"  And  you,  Montala,  if  you  cannot  find  a  pretty  one,  will 
put  uj)  with  an  ugly  one  for  the  moment  rather  than  have 


The  Islands  i  5 


none  at  all !  But  beauty  exists  everywhere,  and  I  daresay 
we  shall  find  it  in  as  good  evidence  here  as  in  other  parts 
of  the  kingdom.  (  >ur  land  is  famous  for  its  lovely 
women,"  —  and  turning  to  Sir  Walter  Langton  he  added 
■ —  "I  think,  Sir  Walter,  we  can  almost  beat  your  Eng- 
land in  that  one  particular !  '' 

"  Some  years  ago,  Sir,  I  should  have  accepted  that 
challenge,"  returned  Sir  Walter,  "  And  with  the  deepest 
respect  for  your  Majesty,  I  should  have  ventured  to  deny 
the  assertion  that  any  country  in  the  world  could  surpass 
England  for  the  beauty  of  its  women.  But  since  the  rage 
for  masculine  sports  and  masculine  manners  has  taken 
hold  of  English  girls,  I  am  not  at  all  disposed  to  defend 
them.  They  have,  unhappily,  lost  all  the  soft  grace  and 
modesty  for  which  their  grandmothers  were  renowned, 
and  one  begins  to  remark  that  their  very  shapes  are  no 
longer  feminine.  The  beautiful  full  bosoms,  admired  by 
Gainsborough  and  Romney,  are  replaced  by  an  unbecom- 
ing flatness  —  the  feet  and  hands  are  growing  large  and 
awkward,  instead  of  being  well-shaped,  white  and  deli- 
cate —  the  skin  is  becoming  coarse  and  rough  of  texture, 
and  there  is  very  little  complexion  to  boast  of,  if  we  ex- 
cept the  artificial  make-up  of  the  women  of  the  town. 
.Some  few  pretty  and  natural  women  remain  in  the  heart 
of  the  forest  and  the  country,  but  the  contamination  is 
spreading,  and  English  women  are  no  longer  the  models 
of  womanhood  for  all  the  world." 

"  Are  you  married,  Sir  Walter?  "  asked  the  King  with 
a  smile. 

"  To  no  woman.  Sir !  I  have  married  England  —  I 
love  her  and  work  for  her  only  !  " 

"  You  find  that  love  sufficient  to  fill  your  heart?  " 

"  Perhaps,"  returned  Sir  Walter  musingly  —  "  perhaps 
if  I  speak  personally  and  selfishly  —  no !  But  when  I 
argue  the  point  logically.  I  find  this  —  that  if  I  had  a  wife 
she  might  probably  occupy  too  much  of  my  time, — certes, 
if  Ihad  children,  I  should  be  working  for  them  and  their 
fntnre  welfare ;  —  as  it  is,  I  give  all  my  life  and  all  my 
work  to  my  country,  and  my  King !  " 

'  T  hope  you  will  meet  with  the  reward  you  merit," 
said  the  Queen  gently ;  ''  Kings  are  not  always  well 
served !  " 


152  "Temporal  Power" 

'  I  seek  no  reward,"  said  Sir  Walter  simply ;  "  The 
joy  of  work  is  always  its  own  guerdon." 

As  he  spoke  the  yacht  ran  into  harbour,  and  with  a  loud 
warning  cry  the  sailors  flung  out  the  first  rope  to  a  man 
on  the  pier,  who  stood  gazing  in  open-mouthed  wonder  at 
their  arrival.  He  seemed  too  stricken  with  amazement  to 
move,  for  he  failed  to  seize  the  rope,  whereat,  with  an 
angry  exclamation  as  the  rope  slipped  back  into  the  water, 
and  the  yacht  bumped  against  the  pier,  a  sailor  sprang  to 
land,  and  as  it  was  thrown  a  second  time,  seized  it  and 
made  it  fast  to  the  capstan.  A  few  more  moments  and 
the  yacht  was  safely  alongside,  the  native  islander  re- 
maining still  motionless  and  staring.  The  captain  of  the 
Royal  vessel  stepped  on  shore  and  spoke  to  him. 

"  Are  there  any  men  about  here?  " 

The  individual  thus  addressed  shook  his  head  in  the 
negative. 

"  Are  you  alone  to  keep  the  pier?  " 

The  head  nodded  in  the  affirmative.  A  voice,  emanat- 
ing from  a  thickly  bearded  mouth  was  understood  to 
growl  forth  something  about  '  no  strange  boats  being 
permitted  to  harbour  there."  Whereupon  the  Captain 
walked  up  to  the  uncouth-looking  figure,  and  said  briefly. 

"  We  are  here  by  the  King's  order!  That  vessel  is  the 
Royal  yacht,  and  their  Majesties  are  on  board." 

For  one  instant  the  islander  stared  more  wildly  than 
ever,  then  with  a  cry  of  amazement  and  evident  alarm, 
ran  away  as  fast  as  his  legs  could  carry  him  and  disap- 
peared. The  captain  returned  to  the  yacht  and  related 
his  experience  to  Sir  Roger  de  Launay.  The  King  heard 
and  was  amused. 

"  It  seems,  Madam,"  he  said,  turning  to  the  Queen, 
'  That  we  shall  have  The  Islands  to  ourselves ;  but  as 
our  visit  will  be  but  brief,  we  shall  no  doubt  find  enough 
to  interest  us  in  the  mere  contemplation  of  the  scenery 
without  other  human  company  than  our  own.  Will  you 
come  ?  " 

He  extended  his  hand  courteously  to  assist  her  across 
the  gangway  of  the  vessel,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  Royal 
party  were  landed,  and  the  yacht  was  left  to  the  stewards 
and  servants,  who  soon  had  all  hands  at  work  preparing 
the  dinner  which  was  to  be  served  during  the  return  sail. 


CHAPTER   XI 

"  GLORIA  —  IN    EXCELSIS  !  " 

THE  King  and  Queen,  followed  by  their  suite  and 
their  guests,  walked  leisurely  off  the  pier,  and  down 
a  well-made  road,  sparkling  with  crushed  sea-shells  and 
powdered  coral,  towards  a  group  of  tall  trees  and  green 
grass  which  they  perceived  a  little  way  ahead  of  them. 
There  was  a  soothing  quietness  everywhere,  —  save  for 
the  singing  of  birds  and  the  soft  ripple  of  the  waves  on 
the  sandy  shore,  it  was  a  silent  land : 

"  In  which  it  seemed  always  afternoon  — 
All  round  the  coast  the  languid  air  did  swoon  — 
Breathing  like  one  that  hath  a  weary  dream." 

The  Queen  paused  once  or  twice  to  look  around  her; 
she  was  vaguely  touched  and  charmed  by  the  still  beauty 
of  the  scene. 

"  It  is  very  lovely!  "  she  said,  more  to  herself  than  to 
any  of  her  companions ;  '  The  world  must  have  looked 
something  like  this  in  the  first  days  of  creation,  —  so  un- 
spoilt and  fresh  and  simple !  " 

The  Countess  Amabil,  walking  with  Sir  Walter  Lang- 
ton,  glanced  coquettishly  at  her  cavalier  and  smiled. 

"  It  is  idyllic!  "  she  said ;  —  "A  sort  of  Arcadia  with- 
out Corydon  or  Phyllis !  Do  all  the  inhabitants  go  to 
sleep  or  disappear  in  the  daytime,  I  wonder? " 

"  Not  all,  I  imagine,"  replied  Sir  Walter ;  "  For  here 
comes  one,  though,  judging  from  the  slowness  of  his 
walk,  he  is  in  no  haste  to  welcome  his  King !  " 

The  personage  he  spoke  of  was  indeed  approaching, 
and  all  the  members  of  the  Royal  party  watched  his  ad- 
vance with  considerable  curiosity.  He  was  tall  and  up- 
right in  bearing,  but  as  he  came  nearer  he  was  seen  to  be 
a  man  of  great  age,  with  a  countenance  on  which  sorrow 
and  suffering  had  left  their  indelible  traces.     There  were 


154  "Temporal  Power' 

furrows  on  that  face  which  tears  had  hollowed  out  for 
their  swifter  flowing,  and  the  high  intellectual  brow  bore 
lines  and  wrinkles  of  anxiety  and  pain,  which  were  the 
soul's  pen-marks  of  a  tragic  history.  He  was  attired  in 
simple  fisherman's  garb  of  rough  blue  homespun,  and 
when  he  was  within  a  few  paces  of  the  King,  he  raised 
his  cap  from  his  curly  silver  hair  with  an  old-world  grace 
and  deferential  courtesy.  Sir  Roger  de  Launay  went  for- 
ward to  meet  him  and  to  explain  the  situation. 

'  His  Majesty  the  King,"  he  said,  "  has  wished  to  make 
a  surprise  visit  to  his  people  of  The  Islands,  —  and  he  is 
here  in  person  with  the  Queen.  Can  you  oblige  him  with 
an  escort  to  the  principal  places  of  interest?" 

The  old  man  looked  at  him  with  a  touch  of  amusement 
and  derision. 

1  There  are  no  places  here  of  interest  to  a  King,"  he 
said ;  '  Unless  a  poor  man's  house  may  serve  for  his 
curious  comment!  I  am  not  his  Majesty's  subject  —  but 
I  live  under  his  protection  and  his  laws,  —  and  I  am  will- 
ing to  offer  him  a  welcome,  since  there  is  no  one  else  to 
do  so !  " 

He  spoke  with  a  refined  and  cultured  accent,  and  in  his 
look  and  bearing  evinced  the  breeding  of  a  gentleman. 

"  Ahd  your  name?  "  asked  Sir  Roger  courteously. 

"  My  name  is  Rene  Ronsard,"  he  replied.  "I  was  ship- 
wrecked on  this  coast  years  ago.  Finding  myself  cast 
here  by  the  will  of  God,  here  I  have  remained !  ' 

As  he  said  this,  Sir  Roger  remembered  what  he  had 
casually  heard  at  times  about  the  '  life-philosopher  '  who 
had  built  for  himself  a  dwelling  on  The  Islands  out  of  the 
timbers  of  wrecked  vessels.  This  must  surely  be  the  man  ! 
Delighted  at  having  thus  come  upon  the  very  person  most 
likely  to  provide  some  sort  of  diversion  for  their  Majes- 
ties, and  requesting  Ronsard  to  wait  at  a  distance  for  a 
moment,  he  hastened  back  to  the  King  and  explained  the 
position.  Whereupon  the  monarch  at  once  advanced  with 
alacrity,  and  as  he  approached  the  venerable  personage 
who  had  ottered  him  the  only  hospitality  he  was  likely  to 
receive  in  this  part  of  his  realm,  he  extended  his  hand 
with  a  frank  and  kindly  cordiality.  Rene  Ronsard  ac- 
cepted it  with  a  slight  but  not  over-obsequious  salutation. 

"  We  owe  you  our  thanks,"  said  the  King,  "  for  receiv- 


"Gloria  —  In  Excelsis!"       155 

ing  us  thus  readily,  and  without  notice;  which  is  surely 
the  truest  form  of  hospitable  kindness !  That  we  are 
strangers  here  is  entirely  our  own  fault,  due  to  our  own 
neglect  of  our  Island  subjects;  and  it  is  for  this  that  we 
have  sought  to  know  something  of  the  place  privately, 
before  visiting  it  with  such  public  ceremonial  and  state 
as  it  deserves.  We  shall  be  indebted  to  you  greatly  if  you 
will  lend  us  your  aid  in  this  intention." 

'  Your  Majesty  is  welcome  to  my  service  in  whatever 
way  it  can  be  of  use  to  you,"  replied  Ronsard  slowly; 
"  As  you  see,  I  am  an  old  man  and  poor  —  I  have  lived 
here  for  well-nigh  thirty  years,  making  as  little  demand 
as  possible  upon  the  resources  of  either  rough  Nature  or 
smooth  civilization  to  provide  me  with  sustenance.  There 
is  poor  attraction  for  a  king  in  such  a  simple  home  as 
mine!  " 

'  More  than  all  men  living,  a  king  has  cause  to  love 
simplicity,"  returned  the  monarch,  as  with  his  swift  and 
keen  glance  he  noted  the  old  man's  proud  figure,  fine 
worn  features,  and  clear,  though  deeply-sunken  eyes ;  — 
'  for  the  glittering  shows  of  ceremony  are  chiefly  irksome 
to  those  who  have  to  suffer  their  daily  monotony.  Let 
me  present  you  to  the  Queen  —  she  will  thank  you  as  I 
do,  for  your  kindly  consent  to  play  the  part  of  host  to  us 
to-day." 

'  Nay,"  —  murmured  Ronsard  —  "  No  thanks  —  no 
thanks !  "  Then,  as  the  King  said  a  few  words  to  his 
fair  Consort,  and  she  received  the  old  man's  respectful 
salutation  in  the  cold,  grave  way  which  was  her  custom, 
he  raised  his  eyes  to  her  face,  and  started  back  with  an 
involuntary  exclamation. 

'  By  Heaven  !  "  he  said  suddenly  and  bluntly,  "  I  never 
thought  to  see  any  woman's  beauty  that  could  compare 
with  that  of  my  Gloria  !  " 

He  spoke  more  to  himself  than  to  any  listener,  but  the 
King:  hearing:  his  words,  wras  immediately  on  the  alert, 
and  when  the  whole  Royal  party  moved  on  again,  he, 
walking  in  a  gracious  and  kindly  way  by  the  old  man's 
side,  and  skilfully  keeping  up  the  conversation  at  first  on 
mere  generalities,  said  presently  :  — 

:'  And  that  name  of  Gloria  ; may  I  ask  you  who  it 

is  that  bears  so  strange  an  appellation  ?  " 


156  "  Temporal  Power 


»> 


Ronsard  looked  at  him  somewhat  doubtingly. 

'"  Your  Majesty  considers  it  strange?  Had  you  ever 
seen  her,  you  would  think  it  the  only  fitting  name  for 
her,"  he  answered,  —  "  For  she  is  surely  the  most  glo- 
rious thing  God  ever  made  !  " 

'Your  wife  —  or  daughter?"  gently  hinted  the  King. 

The  old  man  smiled  bitterly. 

"  Sir,  I  have  never  owned  wife  or  child!  For  aught 
I  know  Gloria  may  have  been  born  like  the  goddess 
Aphrodite,  of  the  sunlight  and  the  sea !  Xo  other  parents 
have  ever  claimed  her." 

He  checked  himself,  and  appeared  disposed  to  change 
the  subject.     The  King  looked  at  him  encouragingly. 

"  May  I  not  hear  more  of  her?  "  he  asked. 

Ronsard  hesitated  —  then  with  a  certain  abruptness 
replied  — 

"  Nay  —  I  am  sorry  I  spoke  of  her!  There  is  nothing 
to  tell.  I  have  said  she  is  beautiful  —  and  beauty  is  al- 
ways stimulating  —  even  to  Kings!  But  your  Majesty 
will  have  no  chance  of  seeing  her,  as  she  is  absent  from 
home  to-day." 

The  King  smiled  ;  —  had  the  rumours  of  his  many  gal- 
lantries reached  The  Islands  then  ?  —  and  was  this  '  life- 
philosopher  '  afraid  that  '  Gloria  '  —  whoever  she  was  — 
might  succumb  to  his  royal  fascinations?  The  thought 
was  subtly  flattering,  but  he  disguised  the  touch  of 
amusement  he  felt,  and  spoke  his  next  words  with  a 
kindly  and  indulgent  air. 

"  Then,  as  I  shall  not  see  her.  you  may  surely  tell  me 
of  her?    I  am  no  betrayer  of  confidence !  " 

A  pale  red  tinged  Ronsard's  worn  features  —  anon  he 
said :  — 

"  It  is  no  question  of  confidence,  Sir,  —  and  there  is  no 
secret  or  mystery  associated  with  the  matter.  Gloria  was, 
like  myself,  cast  up  from  the  sea.  I  found  her  half- 
drowned,  a  helpless  infant  tied  to  a  floating  spar.  It  was 
on  the  other  side  of  these  Islands  —  among  the  rocks 
where  there  is  no  landing-place.  There  is  a  little  church 
on  the  heights  up  there,  and  every  evening  the  men  and 
boys  practise  their  sacred  singing.  It  was  sunset,  and  I 
was  wandering  by  myself  upon  the  shore,  and  in  the 
church  above  me  I  heard  them  chant  '  Gloria !    Gloria ! 


"Gloria  —  In  Excelsis!1        157 

Gloria  in  excelsis  Deo !  '  And  while  they  were  yet  prac- 
tising this  line  I  came  upon  the  child,  —  lying  like  a 
strange  lily,  in  a  salt  pool.  —  between  two  shafts  of  rock 
like  fangs  on  either  side  of  her,  bound  fast  with  rope  to  a 
bit  of  ship's  timber.  I  untied  her  little  limbs,  and  restored 
her  to  life ;  and  all  the  time  I  was  busy  bringing  her  back 
to  breath  and  motion,  the  singing  in  the  church  above  me 
was  '  Gloria !  '  and  ever  again  4  Gloria !  '  So  I  gave  her 
that  name.  That  was  nineteen  years  ago.  She  is  married 
now." 

*'  Married!  *'  exclaimed  the  King,  with  a  curious  sense 
of  mingled  relief  and  disappointment.  "  Then  she  has 
left  you  ?  " 

**  Oh,  no,  she  has  not  left  me !  "  replied  Ronsard ;  "  She 
stays  with  me  till  her  husband  is  ready  to  give  her  a 
home.  He  is  very  poor,  and  lives  in  hope  of  better  davs. 
Meanwhile  poverty  so  far  smiles  upon  them  that  they  are 
happy ;  —  and  happiness,  youth  and  beauty  rarely  go  to- 
gether. For  once  they  have  all  met  in  the  joyous  life  of 
my  Gloria !  " 

'"  I  should  like  to  see  her !  "  said  the  King,  musingly ; 
"  You  have  interested  me  greatly  in  her  historv !  " 

The  old  man  did  not  reply,  but  quickening  his  pace, 
moved  on  a  little  in  advance  of  the  King  and  his  suite,  to 
open  a  gate  in  front  of  them,  which  guarded  the  approach 
to  a  long  low  house  with  carved  gables  and  lattice  win- 
dows, over  which  a  wealth  of  roses  and  jasmine  clam- 
bered in  long  tresses  of  pink  and  white  bloom.  Smooth 
grass  surrounded  the  place,  and  tall  pine  trees  towered  in 
the  background ;  and  round  the  pillars  of  the  broad 
verandah,  which  extended  to  the  full  length  of  the  house 
front,  clematis  and  honeysuckle  twined  in  thick  clusters. 
filling  the  air  with  delicate  perfume.  The  Roval  partv 
murmured  their  admiration  of  this  picturesque  abode, 
while  Ronsard,  with  a  nimbleness  remarkable  for  a  man 
of  his  age,  set  chairs  on  the  verandah  and  lawn  for  his 
distinguished  guests.  Sir  Walter  Langton  and  the  Mar- 
quis Montala  strolled  about  the  garden  with  some  of  the 
ladies,  commenting  on  the  simple  yet  exquisite  taste  dis- 
played in  its  planting  and  arrangement ;  while  the  King 
and  Queen  listened  with  considerable  interest  to  the  con- 
versation of  their   venerable  host.     He  was  a  man  of 


158  "Temporal  Power' 

evident  culture,  and  his  description  of  the  coral-fishing 
community,  their  habits  and  traditions,  was  both  graphic 
and  picturesque. 

"  Are  they  all  away  to-day?  "  asked  the  King. 

"  All  the  men  on  this  side  of  The  Islands  —  yes,  Sir," 
replied  Ronsard ;  "  And  the  women  have  enough  to  do 
inside  their  houses  till  their  husbands  return.  With  the 
evening  and  the  moonlight,  they  will  all  be  out  in  their 
fields  and  gardens,  making  merry  with  innocent  dance 
and  song,  for  they  are  very  happy  folk  —  much  happier 
than  their  neighbours  on  the  mainland." 

"  Are  you  acquainted  with  the  people  of  the  mainland, 
then?  "  enquired  the  King. 

"Sufficiently  to  know  that  they  are  dissatisfied;"  re- 
turned Ronsard  quietly,  —  "  And  that,  deep  down  among 
the  tangled  grass  and  flowers  of  that  brilliant  pleasure- 
ground  called  Society,  there  is  a  fierce  and  starving  lion 
called  the  People,  waiting  for  prey !  " 

His  voice  sank  to  a  low  and  impressive  tone,  and  for  a 
moment  his  hearers  looked  astonished  and  disconcerted. 
He  went  on  as  though  he  had  not  seen  the  expression  of 
their  faces. 

"  Here  in  The  Islands  there  was  the  same  discontent 
when  I  first  came.  Every  man  was  in  heart  a  Socialist, 
—  every  young  boy  was  a  budding  Anarchist.  Wild  ideas 
fired  their  brains.  They  sought  Equality.  No  man 
should  be  richer  than  another,  they  said.  Equal  lots,  — 
equal  lives.  They  had  their  own  secret  Society,  connected 
with  another  similar  one  across  the  sea  yonder.  They 
were  brave,  clever  and  desperate,  —  moved  by  a  burning 
sense  of  wrong,  —  wrong  which  they  had  not  the  skill  to 
explain,  but  which  they  "felt.  It  was  difficult  to  persuade 
or  soothe  such  men,  for  they  were  men  of  Nature,  —  not 
of  Shams.  But  fierce  and  obstinate  as  they  were,  they 
were  good  to  me  when  I  was  cast  up  for  dead  on  their 
seashore.  And  I,  in  turn,  have  tried  to  be  good  to  them. 
That  is,  I  have  tried  to  make  them  happy.  For  happiness 
is  what  we  all  work  for  and  seek  for,  —  from  the  begin- 
ning to  the  end  of  life.  We  go  far  afield  for  it,  when 
it  oftener  lies  at  our  very  doors.  Well !  —  they  are  a 
peaceful  community  now,  and  have  no  evil  intentions 
towards  anyone.     They  grudge  no  one  his  wealth  —  I 


«.k 


Gloria  —  In  Excelsis ! '        159 

think  if  the  truth  were  known,  they  rather  pity  the  rich 
man  than  envy  him.  So,  at  any  rate,  I  have  taught 
them  to  do.  But,  formerly,  they  were,  to  say  the  least  of 
it,  dangerous !  " 

The  King  heard  in  silence,  although  the  slightest  quiz- 
zical lifting  of  his  eyebrows  appeared  to  imply  that  '  dan- 
gerous '  was  perhaps  too  strong  a  term  by  which  to 
designate  a  handful  of  Socialistic  coral-fishers. 

'  It  is  curious,"  went  on  Ronsard  slowly,  "  how  soon 
the  sense  of  wrong  and  injustice  infects  a  whole  com- 
munity. One  malcontent  makes  a  host  of  malcontents. 
This  is  a  fact  which  many  governments  lose  sight  of.  If 
I  were  the  ruler  of  a  country " 

Here  he  suddenly  paused  —  then  added  with  a  touch  of 
brusqueness  — 

'  Pardon  me,  Sir ;  I  have  never'  known  the  formalities 
which  apply  to  conversation  with  a  king,  and  I  am  too 
old  to  learn  now.  No  doubt  I  speak  too  boldly !  To  me 
you  are  no  more  than  man ;  you  should  be  more  by  eti- 
quette —  but  by  simple  humanity  you  are  not !  " 

The  King  smiled,  well  pleased.  This  independent 
commoner,  with  his  rough  garb  and  rougher  simplicity 
of  speech,  was  a  refreshing  contrast  to  the  obsequious 
personages  by  whom  he  was  generally  surrounded ;  and 
he  felt  an  irresistible  desire  to  know  more  of  the  life  and 
surroundings  of  one  who  had  gained  a  position  of  evident 
authority  among  the  people  of  his  own  class. 

"  Go  on,  my  friend !  "  he  said.  '  Honest  expression  of 
thought  can  offend  none  but  knaves  and  fools ;  and  though 
there  are  some  who  say  I  have  a  smack  of  both,  yet  I 
flatter  myself  I  am  wholly  neither  of  the  twain !  Con- 
tinue what  you  were  saying  —  if  you  were  ruler  of  a 
country,  what  would  you  do  ?  " 

Rene  Ronsard  considered  for  a  moment,  and  his  fur- 
rowed brows  set  in  a  puzzled  line. 

;'  I  think,"  he  said  slowly,  at  last,  "  I  should  choose  my 
friends  and  confidants  among  the  leaders  of  the  people." 

'  And  is  not  that  precisely  what  we  all  do?"  queried 
the  King  lightly ;  "  Surely  every  monarch  must  count  his 
friends  among. the  members  of  the  Government?" 

'  But  the  Government  does  not  represent  the  actual 
people,  Sir!  "  said  Ronsard  quietly. 


160  "Temporal  Power' 

"No?  Then  what  docs  it  represent?"  enquired  the 
King,  becoming  amused  and  interested  in  the  discussion, 
and  holding  up  his  hand  to  warn  back  De  Launay,  and 
the  other  members  of  his  suite  who  were  just  coming 
towards  him  from  their  tour  of  inspection  through  the 
srarden  —  "  Every  member  of  the  Government  is  elected 
by  the  people,  and  returned  by  the  popular  vote.  What 
else  would  you  have  ?  " 

4  Ministers  have  not  always  the  popular  vote,"  said 
Ronsard ;  'They  are  selected  by  the  Premier.  And  if 
the  Premier  should  happen  to  be  shifty,  treacherous  or 
self-interested,  he  chooses  such  men  as  are  most  likely  to 
serve  his  own  ends.  And  it  can  hardly  be  said,  Sir,  that 
the  People  truly  return  the  members  of  Government.  For 
when  the  time  comes  for  one  such  man  to  be  elected,  each 
candidate  secures  his  own  agent  to  bribe  the  people,  and 
to  work  upon  them  as  though  they  were  so  much  soft 
dough,  to  be  kneaded  into  a  political  loaf  for  his  private 
and  particular  eating.  Poor  People !  Poor  hard-working 
millions !  In  the  main  they  are  all  too  busy  earning  the 
wherewithal  to  Live,  to  have  any  time  left  to  Think  — 
they  are  the  easy  prey  of  the  party  agent,  except  —  ex- 
cept when  they  gather  to  the  voice  of  a  real  leader,  one 
who  though  not  in  Government,  governs!" 

"  And  is  there  such  an  one?  "  enquired  the  King,  while 
as  he  spoke  his  glance  fell  suddenly,  and  with  an  un- 
pleasant memory,  on  the  flashing  blue  of  the  sapphire  in 
the  Premier's  signet  he  wore;    "  Here,  or  anywhere?" 

"  Over  there !  "  said  Ronsard  impressively,  pointing 
across  the  landscape  seawards ;  "  On  the  mainland  there 
is  not  only  one,  but  many!  Women,  —  as  well  as  men. 
Writers,  —  as  well  as  speakers.  These  are  they  whom 
Courts  neglect  or  ignore,  —  these  are  the  consuming  fire 
of  thrones !  "  Plis  old  eyes  flashed,  and  as  he  turned  them 
on  the  statuesque  beauty  of  the  Queen,  she  started,  for 
they  seemed  to  pierce  into  the  very  recesses  of  her  soul. 
'  When  Court  and  Fashion  played  their  pranks  once  upon 
a  time  in  France,  there  was  a  pen  at  work  on  the  '  Contrat 
Social '  —  the  pen  of  one  Rousseau  !  Who  among  the 
idle  pleasure-loving  aristocrats  ever  thought  that  a  mere 
Book  would  have  helped  to  send  them  to  the  scaffold !  ' 
He  clenched   his  hand   almost   unconsciously  —  then   he 


"  Gloria — InExcelsis!'        161 

spoke  more  quietly.  "  That  is  what  I  mean,  when  I  say- 
that  if  I  were  ruler  of  a  country,  I  should  take  special 
care  to  make  friends  with  the  people's  chosen  thinkers. 
Someone  in  authority"  —  and  here  he  smiled  quizzically 
—  "  should  have  given  Rousseau  an  estate,  and  made  him 
a  marquis  —  in  time!  The  leaders  of  an  advancing 
Thought,  —  and  not  the  leaders  of  a  fixed  Government 
are  the  real  representatives  of  the  People !  ,: 

Something  in  this  last  sentence  appeared  to  strike  the 
King  very  forcibly. 

"  You  are  a  philosopher,  Rene  Ronsard,"  he  said  rising 
from  his  chair,  and  laying  a  hand  kindly  oh  his  shoulder. 
"And  so,  in  another  way  am  I!  If  I  understand  you 
rightly,  you  would  maintain  that  in  many  cases  discontent 
and  disorder  are  the  fermentation  in  the  mind  of  one 
man,  who  for  some  hidden  personal  motive  works  his 
thought  through  a  whole  kingdom ;  and  you  suggest  that 
if  that  man  once  obtained  what  he  wanted  there  would  be 
an  end  of  trouble  —  at  any  rate  for  a  time  till  the  next 
malcontent  turned  up  !     Is  not  that  so  ?  " 

"  It  is  so,  Sir,"  replied  Ronsard ;  "  and  I  think  it  has 
always  been  so.  In  every  era  of  strife  and  revolution,  we 
shall  find  one  dissatisfied  Soul  —  often  a  soul  of  genius 
and  ambition  —  at  the  centre  of  the  trouble." 

"  Probably  you  are  right,"  said  the  monarch  indul- 
gently ;  "  But  evidently  the  dissatisfied  soul  is  not  in 
your  body !  You  are  no  Don  Quixote  fighting  a  windmill 
of  imaginary  wrongs,  are  you  ?  " 

A  dark  red  flush  mounted  to  the  old  man's  brow,  and  as 
it  passed  away,  left  him  pale  as  death. 

"  Sir,  I  have  fought  against  wrongs  in  my  time ;  but 
they  were  not  imaginary.  I  might  have  still  continued 
the  combat  but  for  Gloria !  " 

"Ah!    She  is  your  peace-offering  to  an  unjust  world?" 

"  No  Sir ;  she  is  God's  gift  to  a  broken  heart,"  replied 
Ronsard  gently.  "  The  sea  cast  her  up  like  a  pearl  into 
my  life ;  and  so  for  her  sake  I  resolved  to  live.  For  her 
only  I  made  this  little  home  —  for  her  I  managed  to  gain 
some  control  over  the  rough  inhabitants  of  these  Islands, 
and  encouraged  in  them  the  spirit  of  peace,  mirth  and 
gladness.  I  soothed  their  discontent,  and  tried  to  instil 
into  them  something  of  the  Greek  love  of  beauty  and 

ii 


1 62         "Temporal  Power 


pleasure.  But  after  all,  my  work  sprang  from  a  personal, 
I  may  as  well  say  a  selfish  motive  —  merely  to  make  the 
child  I  loved,  happy !  " 

'  Then  do  you  not  regret  that  she  is  married,  and  no 
longer  yours  to  cherish  entirely  ?  " 

"  No,  I  regret  nothing!  "  answered  Ronsard;  "  For  I 
am  old  and  must  soon  die.  I  shall  leave  her  in  good  and 
safe  hands." 

The  King  looked  at  him  thoughtfully,  and  seemed 
about  to  ask  another  question,  then  suddenly  changing 
his  mind,  he  turned  to  his  Consort  and  said  a  few  words 
to  her  in  a  low  tone,  whereupon  as  if  in  obedience  to  a 
command,  she  rose,  and  with  all  the  gracious  charm  which 
she  could  always  exert  if  she  so  pleased,  she  enquired  of 
Ronsard  if  he  would  permit  them  to  see  something  of  the 
interior  of  his  house. 

"  Madam,"  replied  Ronsard,  with  some  embarrassment ; 
"  All  I  have  is  at  your  service,  but  it  is  only  a  poor  place." 

'  No  place  is  poor  that  has  peace  in  it,"  returned  the 
Queen,  with  one  of  those  rare  smiles  of  hers,  which  so 
swiftly  subjugated  the  hearts  of  men.  "  Will  you  lead 
the  way?  " 

Thus  persuaded,  Rene  Ronsard  could  only  bow  a  re- 
spectful assent,  and  obey  the  request,  which  from  Royalty 
was  tantamount  to  a  command.  Signing  to  the  other 
members  of  the  party,  who  had  stood  till  now  at  a  little 
distance,  the  Queen  bade  them  all  accompany  her. 

'  The  King  will  stay  here  till  we  return,"  she  said, 
"  And  Sir  Roger  will  stay  with  him !  " 

With  these  words,  and  a  flashing  glance  at  De  Launay, 
she  stepped  across  the  lawn,  followed  by  her  ladies-in- 
waiting,  with  Sir  Walter  Langton  and  the  other  gentle- 
men ;  and  in  another  moment  the  brilliant  little  group 
had  disappeared  behind  the  trailing  roses  and  clematis, 
which  hung  in  profusion  from  the  oaken  projections  of 
the  wide  verandah  round  Ronsard's  picturesque  dwelling. 
Standing  still  for  a  moment,  with  Sir  Roger  a  pace  be- 
hind him,  the  King  watched  them  enter  the  house  —  then 
quickly  turning  round  on  his  heel,  faced  his  equerry  with 
a  broad  smile. 

'  Now,  De  Launay,"  he  said,  '  let  us  find  Von 
Glauben !  " 


"Gloria  —  In  Excelsis!'        163 

Sir  Roger  started  with  surprise,  and  not  a  little  appre- 
hension. 

•'  Von  Glauben,  Sir?" 

"Yes  —  Von  Glauben!  He  is  here!  I  saw  his  face 
two  minutes  ago,  peering  through  those  trees !  "  And  he 
pointed  down  a  shadowy  path,  dark  with  the  intertwisted 
gloom  of  untrained  pine-boughs.  "  I  am  not  dreaming, 
nor  am  I  accustomed  to  imagine  spectres !  I  am  on  the 
track  of  a  mystery,  Roger !  There  is  a  beautiful  girl  here 
named  Gloria.  The  beautiful  girl  is  married — possibly  to 
a  jealous  husband,  for  she  is  apparently  hidden  away  from 
all  likely  admirers,  including  myself !  Now  suppose  Von 
Glauben  is  that  husband  !  " 

He  broke  off  and  laughed.  Sir  Roger  de  Launay 
laughed  with  him  ;  the  idea  was  too  irresistibly  droll. 
But  the  King  was  bent  on  mischief,  and  determined  to 
lose  no  time  in  compassing  it. 

"  Come  along!  "  he  said.  "  If  this  tangled  path  holds  a 
secret,  it  shall  be  discovered  before  we  are  many  minutes 
older !  I  am  confident  I  saw  Von  Glauben  ;  and  what  he 
can  be  doing  here  passes  my  comprehension !  Follow 
me,  Roger!  If  our  worthy  Professor  has  a  wife,  and  his 
wife  is  beautiful,  we  will  pardon  him  for  keeping  her 
existence  a  secret  from  us  so  long!  " 

He  laughed  again ;  and  turning  into  the  path  he  had 
previously  indicated,  began  walking  down  it  rapidly,  Sir 
Roger  following  closely,  and  revolving  in  his  own  per- 
plexed mind  the  scene  of  the  morning,  when  Von  Glauben 
had  expressed  such  a  strong  desire  to  get  away  to  The 
Islands,  and  had  admitted  that  there  was  "  a  lady  in  the 
case." 

"  Really,  it  is  most  extraordinary!  "  he  thought.  '  The 
King  no  sooner  decides  to  break  through  conventional 
forms,  than  all  things  seem  loosened  from  their  moorings ! 
A  week  ago,  we  were  all  apparently  fixed  in  our  orbits  of 
exact  routine  and  work  —  the  King  most  fixed  of  all  — 
but  now,  who  can  say  what  may  happen  next !  " 

At  that  moment  the  monarch  turned  round. 

"  This  path  seems  interminable,  Roger,"  he  said ;  "  It 
gets  darker,  closer  and  narrower.  It  thickens,  in  fact, 
like  the  mystery  we  are  probing !  " 

Sir  Roger  glanced  about  him.    A  straight  band  of  trees 


164  "Temporal  Power' 

hemmed  them  in  on  either  side,  and  the  daylight  filtered 
through  their  stems  pallidly,  while,  as  the  King  had  said, 
there  seemed  to  be  no  end  to  the  path  they  were  following. 
They  walked  on  swiftly,  however,  exchanging  no  further 
word,  when  suddenly  an  unexpected  sound  came  sweep- 
ing up  through  the  heavy  branches.  It  was  the  rush  and 
roar  of  the  sea,  —  a  surging,  natural  psalmody  that  filled 
the  air,  and  quivered  through  the  trees  with  the  measured 
beat  of  an  almost  human  chorus. 

"  This  must  be  another  way  to  the  shore,"  said  the 
King,  coming  to  a  standstill ;  "  And  there  must  be  rocks 
or  caverns  near.  Hark  how  the  waves  thunder  and  rever- 
berate through  some  deep  hollow  !  " 

Sir  Roger  listened,  and  heard  the  boom  of  water  rolling 
in  and  rolling  out  again,  with  the  regularity  and  rhythm 
of  an  organ  swell,  but  he  caught  an  echo  of  something 
else  besides,  which  piqued  his  curiosity  and  provoked  him 
to  a  touch  of  unusual  excitement,  —  it  was  the  sweet  and 
apparently  quickly  suppressed  sound  of  a  woman's  laugh- 
ter. He  glanced  at  his  Royal  master,  and  saw  at  once 
that  he,  too,  had  sharp  ears  for  that  silvery  cadence  of 
mirth,  for  his  eyes  flashed  into  a  smile. 

"  On,  Roger,"  he  said  softly ;  "  We  are  close  on  the 
heels  of  the  problem !  ': 

But  they  had  only  pressed  forward  a  few  steps  when 
they  were  again  brought  to  a  sudden  pause.  A  voice, 
whose  gruffly  mellow  accents  were  familiar  to  both  of 
them,  was  speaking  within  evidently  close  range,  and  the 
King,  with  a  warning  look,  motioned  De  Launay  back  a 
pace  or  two,  himself  withdrawing  a  little  into  the  shadow 
of  the  trees. 

"  Ach !  Do  not  sing,  my  princess  !  "  said  the  voice  ; 
"  For  if  you  open  your  rosy  mouth  of  music,  all  the  birds 
of  the  air,  and  all  the  little  fishes  of  the  sea  will  come  to 
listen !  And,  who  knows !  Someone  more  dangerous 
than  either  a  bird  or  a  fish  may  listen  also !  '; 

The  King  grasped  De  Launay  by  the  arm. 

"Was  I  not  right?"  he  whispered.  "There  is  no 
mistaking  Von  Glauben's  accent !  " 

Sir  Roger  looked,  as  he  felt,  utterly  bewildered.  In 
his  own  mind  he  felt  it  very  difficult  to  associate  the  Pro- 
fessor with  a  love  affair.     Yet  things  certainly  seemed 


"Gloria  —  In  Excelsis!"       165 

pointing  to  some  entanglement  of  the  sort.  Suddenly 
the  King  held  up  an  admonitory  finger. 

"  Listen !  "  he  said. 

Another  voice  spoke,  rich  and  clear,  and  sweet  as  honey. 

"  Why  should  I  not  sing?"  and  there  was  a  thrill  of 
merriment  in  the  delicious  accents.  "  You  are  so  afraid 
of  everything  to-day!  Why?  Why  should  I  stay  here 
with  nothing  to  do?  Because  you  tell  me  the  King  is 
visiting  The  Islands.  What  does  that  matter?  What  do 
I  care  for  the  King?    He  is  nothing  to  me! ': 

"  You  would  be  something,  perhaps,  to  him  if  he  saw 
you,"  replied  the  guttural  voice  of  Von  Glauben.  '  It  is 
safer  to  be  out  of"  his  way.  You  are  a  very  wilful  prin- 
cess this  afternoon!  You  must  remember  your  husband 
is  jealous !  " 

The  King  started. 

"  Her  husband !  What  the  devil  does  Von  Glauben 
know  about  her  husband !  " 

De  Launay  was  dumb.  A  nameless  fear  and  dismay 
began  to  possess  him. 

"  My  husband !  "  And  the  sweet  voice  laughed  out 
again.  "  It  would  be  strange  indeed  for  a  poor  sailor  to 
be  jealous  of  a  king!  " 

"  If  the  poor  sailor  had  a  beautiful  wife  he  worshipped, 
and  the  King  should  admire  the  wife,  he  might  have 
cause  to  be  jealous!  "  replied  Von  Glauben:  "  And  with 
some  ladies,  a  poor  sailor  would  stand  no  chance  against 
a  king !  Why  are  you  so  rebellious,  my  princess,  to-day  ? 
Have  I  not  brought  a  letter  from  your  beloved  which 
plainly  asks  you  to  keep  out  of  the  sight  of  the  King? 
Have  I  not  been  an  hour  with  you  here,  reading  the  most 
beautiful  poetry  of  Heine  ?  " 

"  That  is  why  I  want  to  sing,"  said  the  sweet  voice, 
with  a  touch  of  wilfulness  in  its  tone.  "  Listen!  I  will 
give  you  a  reading  of  Heine  in  music !  "  And  suddenly, 
rich  and  clear  as  a  bell,  a  golden  cadence  of  notes  rang 
out  with  the  words  : 

"  Ah,  Hast  thou  forgotten,  That  I  possessed  thy  heart  ?  " 

The  King  sprang  lightly  out  of  his  hiding-place,  and 
with  De  Launay  moved  on  slowly  and  cautiously  through 
the  trees. 


1 66  "Temporal  Power* 

"Ach,  mein  Gott!"  they  heard  Von  Glauben  exclaim 

—  "  That  is  a  bird-call  which  will  float  on  wings  to  the 
ears  of  the  King !  " 

A  soft  laugh  rippled  on  the  air. 

"  Dear  friend  and  master,  why  are  you  so  afraid  ? ' 
asked  the  caressing  woman's  voice  again ;  — "  We  are 
quite  hidden  away  from  the  Royal  visitors,  —  and  though 
you  have  been  peeping  at  the  King  through  the  trees,  and 
though  you  know  he  is  actually  in  our  garden,  he  will 
never  find  his  way  here !  This  is  quite  a  secret  little  study 
and  schoolroom,  where  you  have  taught  me  so  much !  ■ — 
yes  —  so  much  !  —  and  I  am  very  grateful !  And  when- 
ever you  come  to  see  'me  you  teach  me  something  more 

—  you  are  always  good  and  kind  !  —  and  I  would  not 
anger  you  for  the  world !  But  what  is  the  good  of  know- 
ing and  feeling  beautiful  things,  if  I  may  not  express 
them  ?  " 

"You  do  express  them, — in  yourself, — in  your  own  ex- 
istence and  appearance!"  said  "the  Professor  gruffly;  "but 
that  is  a  physiological  accident  which  I  do  not  expect  you 
to  understand  !  " 

There  was  a  moment's  silence.  Then  came  a  slight 
movement,  as  of  quick  feet  clambering  among  loose 
pebbles,  and  the  voice  rang  out  again. 

"  There !  Now  I  am  in  my  rocky  throne !  Do  you 
remember  —  Ah,  no !  —  you  know  nothing  about  it,  — 
but  I  will  tell  you  the  story !  It  was  here,  in  this  very 
place,  that  my  husband  first  saw  me !  '' 

"Ach  so  ! "  murmured  Von  Glauben.  "  It  is  an  excellent 
place  to  make  a  first  appearance !  Eve  herself  could  not 
have  chosen  more  picturesque  surroundings  to  make  a 
conquest  of  Adam  !  " 

Apparently  his  mild  sarcasm  fell  on  unheeding  ears. 

"  He  was  walking  slowly  all  alone  on  the  shore," 
went  on  the  voice,  dropping  into  a  more  plaintive  and 
tender  tone ;  "  The  sun  had  sunk,  and  one  little  star 
was  sparkling  in  the  sky.  He  looked  up  at  the  star  — 
and " 

"  Then  he  saw  a  woman's  eye,"  interpolated  Von 
Glauben  ;  "  Which  is  always  more  attractive  to  weak  man 
than  an  impossible-to-visit  planet !  What  does  Shake- 
speare say  of  women's  eyes? 


"Gloria  —  In  Excelsis!'        167 

'  Two  of  the  fairest  stars  in  all  the  heaven, 
Having  some  business,  do  entreat  her  eyes 
To  twinkle  in  their  spheres  till  they  return. 
What  if  her  eyes  were  there,  they  in  her  head  ? 
The  brightness  of  her  cheek  would  shame  those  stars, 
As  daylight  doth  a  lamp ;  her  eye  in  heaven 
Would  through  the  airy  regions  stream  so  bright, 
That  birds  would  sing  and  think  it  were  not  night! ' 

Ach  !    That  is  so  !  " 

As  the  final  words  left  his  lips,  a  rich  note  of  melody 
stirred  the  air,  and  a  song  in  which  words  and  music 
seemed  thoroughly  welded  together,  rose  vibratingly  ud 
to  the  quiet  sky : 

"  Here  by  the  sea, 
My  Love  found  me  ! 
Seagulls  over  the  waves  were  swinging  ; 
Mermaids  down  in  their  caves  were  singing,  — 
And  one  little  star  in  the  rosy  sky 
Sparkled  above  like  an  angel's  eye  ! 
My  Love  found  me, 
And  I  and  he 
Plighted  our  troth  eternally  ! 
Oh  day  of  splendour, 
And  self-surrender  ! 
The  day  when  my  Love  found  me  ! 

Here,  by  the  sea, 

My  King  crown'd  me  ! 
Wild  ocean  sang  for  my  Coronation, 
With  the  jubilant  voice  of  a  mighty  nation  !  - 
'Mid  the  towering  rocks  he  set  my  throne, 
And  made  me  forever  and  ever  his  own! 

My  King  crown'd  me, 

And  I  and  he 
Are  one  till  the  world  shall  cease  to  be  ! 

Oh  sweet  love  story  ! 

Oh  night  of  glory  ! 
The  night  when  my  King  crown'd  me  ! " 

No  language  could  ever  describe  the  marvellous  sweet- 
ness of  the  voice  that  sung  these  lines ;  it  was  so  full  of 
exquisite  triumph,  tenderness  and  passion,  that  it  seemed 
more  supernatural  than  human.  When  the  song  ceased, 
a  great  wave  dashed  on  the  shore,  like  a  closing  organ 
chord,  and  Von  Glauben  spoke. 

"  There !  You  wanted  your  own  way,  my  princess,  and 
you  have  had  it !  You  have  sung  like  one  of  the  sera- 
phim ;  —  do  not  be  surprised  if  mortals  are  drawn  to 
listen.    Sst !    What  is  that  ?  " 


1 68  "Temporal  Power' 

There  was  a  pause.  The  King  had  inadvertently 
cracked  a  twig  on  one  of  the  pine-boughs  he  was  holding 
back  in  an  endeavour  to  see  the  speakers.  But  he  now 
boldly  pushed  on,  beckoning  De  Launay  to  follow  close,  and 
in  another  minute  had  emerged  on  a  small  sandy  plateau, 
which  led,  by  means  of  an  ascending  path,  to  a  rocky 
eminence,  encircled  by  huge  boulders  and  rocky  pinnacles, 
which  somewhat  resembled  peaks  of  white  coral,  —  and 
here,  on  a  height  above  him,  —  with  the  afternoon  sun- 
glow  bathing  her  in  its  full  mellow  radiance,  sat  a  visibly 
enthroned  goddess  of  the  landscape,  —  a  girl,  or  rather  a 
perfect  woman,  more  beautiful  than  any  he  had  ever  seen, 
or  even  imagined.  He  stared  up  at  her  in  dazzled  won- 
der, half  blinded  by  the  brightness  of  the  sun  and  her 
almost  equally  blinding  loveliness. 

"  Gloria !  "  he  exclaimed  breathlessly,  hardly  conscious 
of  his  own  utterance;   "  You  are  Gloria!  " 

The  fair  vision  rose,  and  came  swiftly  forward  with 
an  astonished  look  in  her  bright  deep  eyes. 

"  Yes!  "  she  said,  "  I  am  Gloria!  " 


CHAPTER    XII 

A    SEA   PRINCESS 

SCARCELY  had  she  thus  declared  herself,  when  the 
Bismarckian  head  and  shoulders  of  Von  Glauben 
appeared  above  the  protecting  boulders ;  and  moving 
with  deliberate  caution,  the  rest  of  his  body  came  slowly 
after,  till  he  stood  fully  declared  in  an  attitude  of  mili- 
tary '  attention.'  He  showed  neither  alarm  nor  confusion 
at  seeing-  the  King- ;  on  the  contrarv,  the  fixed,  wooden 
expression  of  his  countenance  betokened  some  deeply- 
seated  mental  obstinacy,  and  he  faced  his  Royal  master 
with  the  utmost  composure,  lifting  the  slouched  hat  he 
wore  with  his  usual  stiff  and  soldierly  dignity,  though 
carefully  avoiding  the  amazed  stare  of  his  friend,  Sir 
Roger  de  Launay. 

The  King  glanced  him  up  and  down  with  a  smiling  air 
of  amused  curiosity. 

"  So  this  is  how  you  pursue  your  scientific  studies, 
Professor!  "  he  said  lightly;  "  Well!  "  —  and  he  turned 
his  eyes,  full  of  admiration,  on  the  beautiful  creature  who 
stood  silently  confronting  him  with  all  that  perfect  ease 
which  expresses  a  well-balanced  mind,  —  "Wisdom  is 
often  symbolised  to  us  as  a  marble  goddess,  —  but  when 
Pallas  Athene  takes  so  fair  a  shape  of  flesh  and  blood  as 
this,  who  shall  blame  even  a  veteran  philosopher  for  sit- 
ting at  her  feet  in  worship !  " 

'  Pardon  me,  Sir,"  returned  Von  Glauben  calmly ; 
"  There  is  no  goddess  of  Wisdom  here,  so  please  you, 
but  only  a  very   simple  and   unworldly   young  woman. 

She  is "     Here  he  hesitated  a  moment,  then  went 

on "  She  is  merely  the  adopted  child  of  a  fisherman 

living  on  these  Islands." 

"  I  am  aware  of  that !  "  said  the  King  still  smiling. 
"  Rene  Ronsard  is  his  name.    He  is  my  host  to-day ;   and 


i jo  " Temporal  Power" 

he  has  told  me  something-  of  her.     But,  certes,  he  did  not 
mention  that  you  had  adopted  her  also !  " 

Von  Glauben  flushed  vexedly. 

"  Sir,"  he  stammered,  "  I  could  explain " 

"Another  time!"  interrupted  the  King,  with  a  touch 
of  asperity.  "  Meanwhile,  present  your  —  your  pupil  in 
the  poesy  of  Heine,  —  to  me !  " 

Thus  commanded,  the  Professor,  casting  a  vexed  glance 
at  De  Launay,  who  did  not  in  the  least  comprehend  his 
distress,  went  to  the  girl,  who  during  their  brief  conver- 
sation had  stood  quietly  looking  from  one  to  the  other 
with  an  expression  of  half-amused  disdain  on  her  lovely 
features. 

"Gloria,"  he  began  reluctantly  —  then  whispering  in 
her  ear,  he  muttered  —  "  I  told  you  your  voice  would  do 
mischief,  and  it  has  done  it !  "  Then  aloud  —  "  Gloria, 
—  this  —  this  is  the  King!  " 

She  smiled,  but  did  not  change  her  erect  and  easy 
attitude. 

"The  King  is  welcome!"  she  said  simply. 

She  had  evidently  no  intention  of  saluting  the  monarch ; 
and  Sir  Roger  de  Launay  gazed  at  her  in  mingled  sur- 
prise and  admiration.  She  was  certainly  wonderfully 
beautiful.  Her  complexion  had  the  soft  clear  transpar- 
ency of  a  pink  sea-shell  —  her  eyes,  large  and  lustrous, 
were  as  densely  blue  as  the  dark  azure  in  the  depths  of  a 
wave,  —  and  her  hair,  of  a  warm  bronze  chestnut,  caught 
back  with  a  single  band  of  red  coral,  seemed  to  have  gath- 
ered in  its  rich  curling  clusters  all  the  deepest  tints  of 
autumn  leaves  flecked  with  a  golden  touch  of  the  sun. 
Her  figure,  clad  in  a  straight  garment  of  rough  white 
homespun,  was  the  model  of  perfect  womanhood.  She 
stood  a  little  above  the  medium  height,  her  fair  head 
poised  proudly  on  regal  shoulders,  while  the  curve  of  the 
full  bosom  would  have  baffled  the  sculptural  genius  of  a 
Phidias.  The  whole  exquisite  outline  of  her  person  was 
the  expressed  essence  of  beauty,  from  the  lightest  wave 
of  her  hair,  down  to  her  slender  ankles  and  small  feet; 
and  the  look  that  irradiated  her  noble  features  was  that 
of  child-like  happiness  and  repose,  —  the  untired  expres- 
sion of  one  who  had  never  known  any  other  life  than  the 
innocent  enjoyment  bestowed  upon  her  by  God  and  divine 


A  Sea  Princess  171 

Nature.  Beautiful  as  his  Queen-Consort  was  and  always 
had  been,  the  King  was  forced  to  admit  to  himself  that 
here  was  a  woman  far  more  beautiful,  —  and  as  he  looked 
upon  her  critically,  he  saw  that  there  was  a  light  and 
splendour  about  her  which  only  the  happiness  of  Love 
can  give.  Her  whole  aspect  was  as  of  one  uplifted  into  a 
finer  atmosphere  than  that  of  earth,  —  she  seemed  to  ex- 
hale purity  from  herself,  as  a  rose  exhales  perfume,  and 
her  undisturbed  serenity  and  dignity,  when  made  aware 
of  the  Royal  presence,  were  evidently  not  the  outcome  of 
ill-breeding  or  discourtesy,  but  of  mere  self-respect  and 
independence.  He  approached  her  with  a  strange  hesita- 
tion, which  for  him  was  quite  a  new  experience. 

"  I  am  glad  I  have  been  fortunate  enough  to  meet 
you  !  "  he  said  gently ;  —  "  Some  kindly  fate  guided  my 
steps  down  the  path  which  brought  me  to  this  part  of  the 
shore,  else  I  might  have  gone  away  without  seeing  you !  " 

"  That  would  have  been  no  loss  to  your  JYkajesty,"  an- 
swered Gloria  calmly ;  —  "  For  to  see  me,  is  of  no  use  to 
anyone ! " 

"Would  your  husband  say  so?"  hazarded  the  King 
with  a  smile. 

Her  eyes  flashed. 

"  My  husband  would  say  what  is  right,"  she  replied. 
"  He  would  know  better  how  to  talk  to  you  than  I  do !  " 

He  had  insensibly  drawn  nearer  to  her  as  he  spoke ; 
meanwhile  Von  Glauben,  with  a  disconsolate  air,  had 
joined  Sir  Roger  de  Launay,  who,  by  an  enquiring  look 
and  anxious  uplifting  of  his  eyebrows,  dumbly  asked 
what  was  to  be  the  upshot  of  this  affair,  —  only  to  re- 
ceive a  dismal  shake  of  the  head  in  reply. 

"  Possibly  I  know  your  husband,"  went  on  the  King, 
anxious  to  continue  conversation  with  so  beautiful  a 
creature.  '  If  I  do,  and  he  is  in  my  personal  service,  he 
shall  not  lack  promotion !     Will  you  tell  me  his  name  ?  " 

A  startled  look  came  into  the  girl's  eyes,  and  a  deep 
blush  swept  over  her  fair  cheeks. 

"  I  dare  not !  "  she  said  ;  —  "  He  has  forbidden  me !  " 

"Forbidden  you!"  The  King  recoiled  a  step  —  a 
vague  suspicion  rankled  in  his  mind.  '  Then,  though 
your  King  asks  you  a  friendly  question,  you  refuse  to 
answer  it?  " 


172  "Temporal  Power' 

Von  Glauben  here  gripped  Sir  Roger  so  fiercely  by  the 
arm,  that  the  latter  nearly  cried  out  with  pain. 

"  She  must  not  tell,"  he  muttered  —  "  She  must  not  — 
she  will  not !  " 

But  Gloria  was  looking  straight  at  her  Royal  questioner. 

'  I  have  no  King  but  my  husband!  "  she  said  firmly. 
"  I  have  sworn  before  God  to  obey  him  in  all  things,  and 
I  will  not  break  my  vow !  " 

"  Good  o-irl !  Wise  girl !  "  exclaimed  Von  Glauben. 
"Ach,  if  all  the  beautiful  women  so  guarded  their  tongues 
and  obeyed  their  husbands,  what  a  happy  world  it  would 
be!" 

The  King  turned  upon  him. 

"  True !  But  you  are  not  bound  by  the  confidences  of 
marriage,  Professor,  —  so  that  while  in  our  service  our 
will  must  be  your  law !  You,  therefore,  can  perhaps  tell 
me  the  name  of  the  fortunate  man  who  has  wedded  this 
fair  lady?  " 

The  Professor's  countenance  visibly  reddened. 

"  Sir,"  he  stammered  —  "  With  every  respect  for  your 
Majesty,  I  would  rather  lose  my  much-to-be-appreciated 
post  with  you  than  betray  my  friends !  " 

The  King  suddenly  lost  patience. 

"  By  Heaven !  "  he  exclaimed,  "  Is  my  command  to  be 
slighted  and  set  aside  as  if  it  were  naught?  Not  while  I 
am  king  of  this  country !  What  mystery  is  here  that  I 
am  not  to  know  ?  " 

Gloria  laughed  outright,  and  the  pretty  ripple  of 
mirth,  so  unforced  and  natural,  diverted  the  monarch's 
irritation. 

"  Oh,  you  are  angry!  "  she  said,  her  lovely  eyes  twin- 
kling and  sparkling  like  diamonds  :  —  "  So !  Then  your 
Majesty  is  no  more  than  a  very  common  man  who  loses 
temper  when  he  cannot  have  his  own  way !"  She  laughed 
again,  and  the  King  stared  at  her  unoffended,  —  being 
spellbound,  both  by  her  regal  beauty,  and  her  complete 
indifference  to  himself.  '  I  will  speak  like  the  prophets 
do  in  the  Bible  and  say,  '  Lo !  there  is  no  mystery,  O 
King !  '  I  am  only  poor  Gloria,  a  sailor's' wife,  —  and  the 
sailor  has  a  place  on  board  your  son  the  Crown  Prince's 
yacht,  and  he  does  not  want  his  master  to  know  that  he  is 
married  lest  he  lose  that  place !     Is  not  that  plain  and 


A  Sea  Princess  173 

clear,  O  King"?  And  why  should  I  disobey  my  beloved 
in  such  a  simple  matter? '' 

The  King-  was  still  in  something  of  a  fume. 

"  There  is  no  reason  why  you  should  disobey,"  he  said 
more  quietly,  but  still  with  vexation ;  — "  But,  equally, 
there  is  no  reason  why  your  husband  should  be  dismissed 
from  the  Crown  Prince's  service,  because  he  has  chosen 
to  marry.  If  you  tell  me  his  name,  I  will  make  all  things 
easy  for  him,  for  you,  and  your  future.  Can  you  not 
trust  me?  " 

With  wonderful  grace  and  quickness  Gloria  suddenly 
sprang  forward,  caught  the  King's  hand,  kissed  it,  and 
then  threw  it  lightly  away  from  her. 

"  No !  "  she  said,  with  a  pretty  defiance ;  '  I  kiss  the 
hand  of  the  country's  King  —  but  I  have  my  own  King 
to  serve !  " 

And  pausing  for  no  more  words,  she  turned  away, 
sprang  lightly  up  the  rocks  as  swiftly  as  a  roe-deer,  and 
disappeared.  And  from  some  hidden  corner,  clear  and 
full  and  sweet,  her  voice  rang  out  above  the  peaceful 
plashing  of  the  waves : 

"  My  King  crown'd  me  ! 
And  I  and  he- 
Are  one  till  the  world  shall  cease  to  be  ! " 

Stricken  dumb  and  confused  by  the  suddenness  of  her 
action,  and  the  swiftness  of  her  departure,  the  King  stood 
for  a  moment  inert,  gazing  up  the  rocky  height  with  the 
air  of  one  who  has  seen  a  vision  of  heaven  withdrawn 
again  into  its  native  element.  Some  darkening  doubt 
troubled  his  mind,  and  it  was  with  an  altogether  changed 
and  stern  countenance  that  he  confronted  Von  Glauben. 

"  Last  night,  Professor,  you  were  somewhat  anxious  for 
our  health  and  safety,"  he  said  severely;  '  It  is  our  turn 
now  to  be  equally  anxious  for  yours !  We  are  of  opinion 
that  you,  like  ourselves,  run  some  risk  of  danger  by  med- 
dling in  affairs  which  do  not  concern  you !  Silence !  " 
This,  as  the  Professor,  deeply  moved  by  his  Royal  mas- 
ter's evident  displeasure,  made  an  attempt  to  speak.  "We 
will  hear  all  you  have  to  say  to-morrow.  Meanwhile  — 
follow  your  fair  charge !  ':  And  he  pointed  up  in  the  di- 
rection whither  Gloria  had  vanished.     "  Her  husband  " 


174         "Temporal  Power " 

—  and  he  emphasized  the  word,  —  "  whoever  he  is,  ap- 
pears to  have  entrusted  her  safety  to  you  ;  —  see  that  you 
do  not  betray  his  trust,  even  though  you  have  betrayed 
mine!  " 

At  this  remark  Von  Glauben  was  visibly  overcome. 

"  Sir,  you  have  never  had  reason  to  complain  of  any 
lack  of  loyalty  in  me  to  you  and  to  your  service,"  he  said 
with  an  earnest  dignity  which  became  him  well ;  —  "  In 
the  matter  of  the  poor  child  yonder,  whose  beauty  would 
surely  be  a  fatal  snare  to  any  man,  there  is  much  to  be 
told,  —  which  if  told  truly,  will  prove  that  I  am  merely 
the  slave  of  circumstances  which  were  not  created  by  me, 

—  and  which  it  is  possible  for  a  faithful  servant  of  your 
Majesty  to  regret !  But  a  betrayer  of  trust  I  have  never 
been,  and  I  beseech  your  Majesty  to  believe  me  when  I 
say  that  the  acuteness  of  that  undeserved  reproach  cuts 
me  to  the  heart !  I  yield  to  no  man  in  the  respect  and 
affection  I  entertain  for  your  Royal  person,  not  even  to 
De  Launay  here  —  who  knows  —  who  knows " 

He  broke  off,  unable  through  strong  emotion  to  pro- 
ceed. 

"'Who  knows  '  —  What  ?  "  enquired  the  King,  turn- 
ing his  steadfast  eyes  on  Sir  Roger. 

"Nothing,  Sir!  Absolutely  nothing!'1  replied  the 
equerry,  opening  his  eyes  as  widely  as  their  habitual 
langour  would  permit ;  '  I  am  absolutely  ignorant  of 
everything  concerning  Von  Glauben  except  that  he  is  an 
honest  man  !    That  I  certainly  do  know  !  " 

A  slight  smile  cleared  awav  something  of  the  doubt  and 
displeasure  on  the  King's  face.  Approaching  the  discon- 
solate Professor,  he  laid  one  hand  on  his  shoulder  and 
looked  him  steadily  in  the  eyes. 

"  By  my  faith,  Von  Glauben,  if  I  thought  positively 
that  you  could  play  me  false  in  any  matter,  I  would  never 
believe  a  man  again !  Come !  Forgive  my  hasty  speech, 
and  do  not  look  so  downcast !  Honest  I  have  always 
known  you  to  be,  ■ —  and  that  you  will  prove  your  hon- 
esty, I  do  not  doubt !  But  —  there  is  something  in  this 
affair  which  awakens  grave  suspicion  in  my  mind.  For 
to-day  I  press  no  questions — but  to-morrow  I  must  know 
all!    You  understand?    All!    Say  this  to  the  girl,  Gloria, 

—  say  it  to  her  husband  also  —  as,  of  course,  you  know 


A  Sea  Princess  i  7  5 

who  her  husband  is.  If  he  r>erves  on  Prince  Humphry's 
yacht,  that  is  enough  to  say  that  Humphry  himself  has 
probably  seen  her.  Under  all  the  circumstances,  I  con- 
fess, my  dear  Von  Glauben,  that  your  presence  here  is  a 
riddle  which  needs  explanation !  " 

'  It   shall   be   explained,    Sir — "   murmured   the    Pro- 
fessor. 

'  Naturally !  It  must,  of  course,  be  explained.  But  I 
hope  you  give  me  credit  for  not  being  altogether  a  fool ; 
and  I  have  an  idea  that  my  son's  frequent  mysterious 
visits  to  The  Islands  have  something  to  do  with  this  fair 
Gloria  of  Glorias !  "  Von  Glauben  started  involuntarily. 
'  You  perhaps  think  it  too?  Or  know  it?  Well,  if  it  is 
so,  I  can  hardly  blame  him  overmuch,  —  though  I  am 
sorry  he  should  have  selected  a  poor  sailor's  wife  as  a 
subject  for  his  secret  amours!  I  should  have  thought 
him  possessed  of  more  honour.  However  —  to-morrow 
I  shall  look  to  you  for  a  full  account  of  the  matter.  For 
the  present,  I  excuse  your  attendance,  and  permit  you  to 
remain  with  her  whom  you  call  '  princess  ' !  " 

He  stepped  back,  and,  taking  De  Launay's  arm,  turned 
round  at  once,  and  walked  away  back  to  Ronsard's  house 
by  the  path  he  had  followed  with  such  eagerness  and 
care. 

Von  Glauben  watched  the  two  tall  figures  disappear, 
and  then  with  a  troubled  look,  began  to  climb  slowly  up 
the  rocks  in  the  direction  where  Gloria  had  gone.  His 
reflections  were  not  altogether  as  philosophical  as  usual, 
because  as  he  said  to  himself  —  "  One  can  never  tell  how 
a  woman  is  going  to  meet  misfortune !  Sometimes  she 
takes  it  well;  and  then  the  men  who  have  ruthlessly  de- 
stroyed her  happiness  go  on  their  way  rejoicing;  but 
more  often  she  takes  it  ill,  and  there  is  the  devil  to  pay ! 
Yet  —  Gloria  is  not  like  any  ordinary  woman  —  she  is  a 
carefully  selected  specimen  of  her  sex,  which  a  kindly 
Nature  has  produced  as  an  example  of  what  women  were 
intended  to  be  when  they  were  first  created.  I  wonder 
where  she  has  hidden  herself?" 

Arriving  at  the  summit  of  the  ascent,  he  peered  down 
towards  the  sea.  Slopes  of  rank  grass  and  sea-daisies 
tufted  the  rocks  on  this  side,  divided  by  certain  deep  hol- 
lows which  the  action  of  the  waves  had  honeycombed 


176  "Temporal  Power' 

here  and  there ;  and  below  the  grass  was  the  shore,  pow- 
dered thickly  with  sand,  of  a  fine,  light,  and  sparkling 
colour,  like  gold  dust.  Here  in  the  full  light  of  the  sink- 
ing sun  lay  Gloria,  her  head  pillowed  against  a  rough 
stone,  on  the  top  of  which  a  tall  cluster  of  daisies,  some- 
times called  moon-flowers,  waved  like  white  plumes. 

"  Gloria!  "  called  Von  Glauben. 

She  looked  up,  smiling. 

•"  Has  Majesty  gone?  "  she  asked. 

"  Gone  for  the  present,"  replied  the  Professor,  begin- 
ning to  put  one  foot  cautiously  before  the  other  down  a 
roughly  hewn  stairwav  in  the  otherwise  almost  inacces- 
sible cliff.  "  But,  like'  the  sun  which  is  setting  to-night, 
he  will  rise  again  to-morrow  !  " 

"  Shall  I  come  and  help  you  down?  "  enquired  the  girl, 
turning  on  her  elbow  as  she  lay,  and  lifting  her  lovely 
face,  radiant  as  a  flower,  towards  him. 

"  Whether  clown  or  up,  you  shall  never  help  me,  my 
princess !  "  he  replied.  "  When  I  can  neither  climb  nor 
fall  without  the  assistance  of  a  woman's  hand,  I  shall 
take  a  pistol  and  tell  it  to  whisper  in  my  ear  — '  Good-bye, 
Heinrich  Von  Glauben!  You  are  all  up  —  finish  — 
gone! 

Here,  with  a  somewhat  elephantine  jump,  he  alighted 
beside  her  and  threw  himself  on  the  warm  sand  with  a 
deep  sigh  of  mingled  exhaustion  and  relief. 

"  You  would  be  very  wicked  to  put  a  pistol  to  your 
ear,"  said  Gloria  severely;  —  "  It  is  only  a  coward  who 
shoots  himself !  " 

"  Ach  so !  And  it  is  a  brave  man  who  shoots  others ! 
That  is  curious,  is  it  not,  princess?  It  is  a  little  bit  of 
man's  morality ;  but  we  have  no  time  to  discuss  it  now. 
We  have  something  more  serious  to  consider,  —  your 
husband !  " 

She  looked  at  him  wonderingly. 

"  My  husband  ?  Do  you  really  think  he  will  be  very 
angry  that  the  King  saw  me  ?  " 

The  Professor  appeared  to  be  considering  the  question  ; 
but  in  reality  he  was  studying  the  exquisite  delicacy  of  the 
face  turned  so  wistfully  upon  him,  and  the  lovely  lines  of 
the  slim  throat  and  rounded  chin  — "  So  beautiful  a 
creature  "  —  he  was  saying  within  himself  —  "  And  must 


A  Sea  Princess  177 

she  also  suffer  pain  and  disillusion  like  all  the  rest  of  her 
unfortunate  sex!  "    Aloud  he  replied. 

'  My  princess,  it  is  not  for  me  to  say  he  will  be  '  angry,' 
—  for  how  could  he  be  angry  with  the  one  he  loves  to 
such  adoration  !  He  will  be  sorry  and  troubled  —  it  will 
put  him  into  a  great  difficulty  !  Ach  !  —  a  whole  nest  of 
difficulties  !  " 

"Why?"  And  Gloria's  eyes  filled  with  sudden  tears. 
"  I  would  not  grieve  him  for  the  world !  I  cannot  under- 
stand why  it  should  matter  at  all,  even  if  the  King  does 
find  out  that  he  is  married.  Are  the  rules  so  strict  for 
all  the  men  who  serve  on  board  the  Royal  vessels  ?  " 

Von  Glauben  bit  his  lips  to  hide  an  involuntary  smile. 
But  he  answered  her  with  quite  a  martinet  air. 

"  Yes,  they  are  strict  —  very  strict !  Particularly  so  in 
the  case  of  your  husband.  You  see,  my  child  —  you  do 
not  perhaps  quite  understand  —  but  he  is  a  sort  of  su- 
perior officer  on  board ;  and  in  close  personal  attendance 
on  the  Crown  Prince." 

'  He  did  not  tell  me  that !  "  said  the  girl  a  little 
anxiously ;  '  Yet  surely  it  would  not  matter  if  he  loses 
one  place ;  can  he  not  easily  get  another?  " 

Von  Glauben  was  looking  at  her  with  a  grave,  almost 
melancholy  intentness. 

4  Listen,  my  princess,  —  listen  to  your  poor  old  friend, 
who  means  you  so  much  good,  and  no  harm  at  all !  Your 
husband  —  and  I  too,  for  that  matter,  —  wished  much  to 

prevent  the  King  from  seeing  you for for  many 

reasons.  When  I  heard  he  was  coming  to  The  Islands,  I 
resolved  to  arrive  here  before  him,  and  so  I  did.  I  said 
nothing  to  Ronsard,  not  even  to  warn  him  of  the  King's 
impending  visit.  I  took  you  just  quietly,  as  I  have  often 
done,  for  a  walk,  with  a  book  to  read  and  to  explain  to 
you,  because  you  tell  me  you  want  to  study ;  though  in 
my  opinion  you  know  quite  enough  —  for  a  woman.  I 
gave  you  a  letter  from  your  husband,  and  you  know  he 
asked  you  in  that  letter  to  avoid  all  possibility  of  meeting 
with  the  King.  Good  !  Well,  now,  what  happens  ?  You 
sing  —  and  lo!  his  Majesty,  like  a  fish  on  a  hook,  is 
drawn  up  open-mouthed  to  your  feet!  Now,  who  is  to 
blame?    You  or  I?  " 

A  little  perplexed  line  appeared  on  the  girl's  fair  brows. 

12 


178  "Temporal  Power' 

"  I  am,  I  suppose !  "  she  said  somewhat  plaintively,  — 
"  But  yet,  even  now,  I  do  not  understand.  What  is  the 
King  ?  He  is  nothing !  He  does  nothing  for  anybody ! 
People  make  petitions  to  him,  and  he  never  answers  them 
—  they  try  to  point  out  errors  and  abuses,  and  he  takes  no 
trouble  to  remedy  them  —  he  is  no  better  than  a  wooden 
idol !    He  is  not  a  real  man,  though  he  looks  like  one." 

"Oh,  you  think  he  looks  like  one?"  murmured  Von 
Glauben;  "That  is  to  say  you  are  not  altogether  dis- 
pleased with  his  appearance?  " 

Gloria's  eyes  darkened  a  moment  with  thought,  —  then 
flashed  with  laughter. 

"  No,"  she  said  frankly  —  "  He  is  more  kingly  than  I 
thought  a  king  could  be.  But  he  should  not  lose  temper. 
That  spoils  all  dignity !  " 

Von  Glauben  smiled. 

"  Kings  are  but  mortal,"  he  said,  "  and  never  to  lose 
temper  would  be  impossible  to  any  man." 

"  It  is  such  a  waste  of  time !  "  declared  Gloria  —  "  Why 
should  anyone  lose  self-control?  It  is  like  giving  up  a 
sword  to  an  enemy." 

"  That  is  one  of  Rene  Ronsard's  teachings,"  —  said  the 
Professor  —  "  It  is  excellent  in  theory!  But  in  practice 
I  have  seen  Rene  give  way  to  temper  himself,  with  con- 
siderable enjoyment  of  his  own  mental  thunderstorm.  As 
for  the  King,  he  is  generally  a  very  equable  personage ; 
and  he  has  one  great  virtue  —  that  is  courage.  He  is 
brave  as  a  lion  —  perhaps  braver  than  many  lions  !  " 

She  raised  her  eyes  enquiringly. 

"  Has  he  proved  it?" 

Rather  taken  aback  by  the  question,  he  stared  at  her 
solemnly. 

"  Proved  it  ?  Well !  He  has  had  no  chance.  The 
country  has  been  at  peace  for  many  years  —  but  if  there 
should  ever  be  a  war " 

"  Would  he  go  and  fight  for  the  country  ?  "  enquired 
Gloria. 

"  In  person  ?  No.  He  would  not  be  allowed  to  do  that. 
His  life  would  be  endangered " 

"  Of  course!  "  interrupted  the  girl  with  a  touch  of  con- 
tempt; "But  if  he  would  allow  himself  to  be  ruled  by 
others  in  such  a  matter,  I  do  not  call  him  brave !  " 


A  Sea  Princess  179 

The  Professor  drew  out  his  spectacles,  and  fixing  them 
on  his  nose  with  much  care,  regarded  her  through  them 
with  bland  and  kindly  interest. 

"  Very  simple  and  primitive  reasoning,  my  princess ! ': 
he  said ;  "  And  from  an  early  historic  point  of  view,  your 
idea  is  correct.  In  the  olden  times  kings  went  themselves 
to  battle,  and  led  their  soldiers  on  to  victory  in  person. 
It  was  very  fine  ;  much  finer  than  our  modern  ways  of 
warfare.  But  it  has  perhaps  never  occurred  to  you  that 
a  king's  life  nowadays  is  always  in  danger?  He  can  do 
nothing  more  completely  courageous  than  to  show  him- 
self in  public !  " 

"  Are  kings  then  so  hated?  "  she  asked. 

"  They  are  not  loved,  it  must  be  confessed,"  returned 
Von  Glauben,  taking  off  his  spectacles  again  ;  '  But  that 
is  quite  their  own  fault.  They  seldom  do  anything  to 
deserve  the  respect,  —  much  less  the  affection  of  their 
subjects.  But  this  king  —  this  man  you  have  just  seen  — 
certainly  deserves  both." 

'  Why,  what  has  he  clone?  "  asked  Gloria  wonderingly. 
'  I  have  heard  people  say  he  is  very  wicked  —  that  he 
takes  other  men's  wives  away  from  them " 

The  Professor  coughed  discreetly. 

"  My  princess,  let  me  suggest  to  you  that  he  could 
scarcely  take  other  men's  wives  away  from  them,  unless 
those  wives  were  perfectly  willing  to  go!  " 

She  gave  an  impatient  gesture. 

"  Oh,  there  are  weak  women,  no  doubt ;  but  then  a 
king  should  know  better  than  to  put  temptation  in  their 
way.  If  a  man  undertakes  to  be  strong,  he  should  also 
be  honourable.  Then,  —  what  of  the  taxes  the  King  im- 
poses on  the  people?  The  sufferings  of  the  poor  over 
there  on  the  mainland  are  terrible !  —  I  know  all  about 
them  !    I  have  heard  Sergius  Thord  !  " 

The  Professor  gave  an  uncomfortable  start. 

'  You  have  heard  Sergius  Thord  ?    Where  ?  " 

"  Here !  "  And  Gloria  smiled  at  his  expression  of 
wonderment.  "'He  has  spoken  often  to  our  people,_  and 
he  is  father  Rene's  friend." 

"  And  what  does  he  talk  about  when  he  speaks  here  ?  " 
enquired  Von  Glauben.  '  When  does  he  come,  and  how 
does  he  go  ?  " 


180  "Temporal  Power' 

'  Always  at  night,"  answered  Gloria;  "  He  has  a  sail- 
ing skiff  of  his  own,  and  on  many  an  evening  when  the 
wind  sets  in  our  quarter,  he  arrives  quite  suddenly,  all 
alone,  and  in  a  moment,  as  if  by  magic,  the  Islanders  all 
seem  to  know  he  is  here.  On  the  shore,  or  in  the  fields 
he  assembles  them  round  him,  and  tells  them  many  things 
that  are  plain  and  true.  I  have  heard  him  speak  often  of 
the  shortness  of  life  and  its  many  sorrows,  and  he  says 
we  could  all  make  each  other  happy  for  the  little  time 
we  have  to  live,  if  we  would.  And  I  think  he  is  right ; 
it  is  only  wicked  and  selfish  people  who  make  others 
unhappy !  " 

The  Professor  was  silent.  Gloria,  watching  him,  won- 
dered at  his  somewhat  perturbed  expression. 

"Do  you  know  the  King  very  well?"  she  asked  sud- 
denly.    "  He  seemed  very  cross  with  you  !  " 

Von  Glauben  roused  himself  from  a  fit  of  momentary 
abstraction. 

"Yes,  —  he  was  cross!"  he  rejoined.  "I,  like  your 
husband,  am  in  his  service  —  and  I  ought  to  have  been 

on   duty  to-day.      It  will  be  all   right,   however all 

right !     But "     He  paused  for  a  moment,  then  went 

on  —  "  You  say  that  only  wicked  and  selfish  people  make 
others  unhappy.  Now  suppose  your  husband  were 
wicked  and  selfish  enough  to  make  you  unhappy ;  what 
would  you  say  ?  " 

A  sweet  smile  shone  in  her  eyes. 

"  He  could  not  make  me  unhappy !  "  she  said.  "  He 
would  not  trv !  He  loves  me,  and  he  will  always  love 
me!" 

'  But,  suppose,"  persisted  the  Professor "  Just  for 

the  sake  of  argument  —  suppose  he  had  deceived  you  ? ' 

With  a  low  cry  she  sprang  up. 

'Impossible!"  she  exclaimed;  "He  is  truth  itself! 
He  could  not  deceive  anyone!  " 

"  Come  and  sit  down  again,"  said  Von  Glauben  tran- 
quilly ;  "  It  is  disturbing  to  my  mind  to  see  you  standing 
there  pronouncing  your  faith  in  the  integrity  of  man ! 
No  male  creature  deserves  such  implicit  trust,  and  when- 
ever a  woman  gives  it,  she  invariably  finds  out  her 
mistake !  " 

But  Gloria  stood  still.    The  rich  colour  had  faded  from 


A  Sea  Princess  i  8  i 

her  cheeks  —  her  eyes  were  dilated  with  alarm,  and  her 
breath  came  and  went  quickly. 

"You  must  explain,"  she  said  hurriedly;  'You  must 
tell  me  what  you  mean  by  suggesting-  such  a  wicked 
thought  to  me  as  that  my  husband  could  deceive  me !  It 
is  not  right  or  kind  of  you,  —  it  is  cruel !  " 

The  Professor  scrambled  up  hastily  out  of  his  sandy 
nook,  and  approaching  her,  took  her  hand  very  gently  and 
respectfully  in  his  own  and  kissed  it. 

'My  dear --my  princess  —  I  was  wrong!  Forgive 
me!  "  he  murmured,  and  there  was  a  little  tremor  in  his 
voice :  "  Hut  can  you  not  understand  the  possibility  of  a 
man  loving  a  woman  very  much,  and  yet  deceiving  her 
for  her  good?  " 

'  It  could  never  be  for  her  good/'  said  Gloria  firmly ; 
'  It  would  not  be  for  mine !     No  lie  ever  lasts  !  ' 

Von  Glauben  looked  at  her  with  a  sense  of  reverence 
and  something  like  awe.  The  after-glow  of  the  sinking 
sun  was  burning  low  down  upon  the  sea,  and  turning  it 
to  fiery  crimson,  and  as  she  stood  bathed  in  its  splendour, 
the  white  rocks  towering  above  her,  and  the  golden  sands 
sparkling  at  her  feet,  she  appeared  like  some  newly  de- 
scended angel  expressing  the  very  truth  of  Heaven  itself 
in  her  own  presence  on  earth.  As  they  stood  thus,  the 
sudden  boom  of  a  single  cannon  echoed  clear  across  the 
waves. 

'  There  goes  the  King!  "  said  Von  Glauben;  "  Majesty 
departs  for  the  present,  having  so  far  satisfied  his  curi- 
osity !  That  gun  is  the  signal.  Child !  "  —  and  turning 
towards  her  again,  he  took  both  her  hands  in  his,  and 
spoke  with  emphatic  gravity  and  kindness  —  "  Remember 
that  I  am  your  friend  always !  Whatever  chances  to  you, 
do  not  forget  that  you  may  command  my  service  and 
devotion  till  death  !  In  this  strange  life,  we  never  know 
from  day  to  day  what  may  happen  to  us,   for  constant 

change  is  the  law  of  Nature  and  the  universe, but 

after  all,  there  is  something  in  the  soul  of  a  true  man 
which  does  not  change  with  the  elements,  —  and  that  is 
—  loyalty  to  a  sworn  faith !  In  my  heart,  I  have  sworn 
an  oath  of  fealty  to  you,  my  beautiful  little  princess  of  the 
sea !  —  and  it  is  a  vow  that  shall  never  be  broken !  Do 
you  understand?    And  will  you  remember?" 


i  82  "Temporal  Power' 

Her  large  dark  blue  eyes  looked  trustingly  into  his. 

"  Indeed,  I  will  never  forget!  "  she  said,  with  a  touch 
of  wistfulness  in  her  accents ;  "  But  I  do  not  know  why 
you  should  be  anxious  for  me  —  there  is  nothing  to  fear 
for  my  happiness.  I  have  all  the  love  I  care  for  in  th~ 
world !  " 

"  And  long  may  you  keep  it!  "  said  the  Professor  ear- 
nestly; "Come!  It  will  soon  be  time  for  me  to  leave 
you,  and  I  must  see  Rene  before  I  go.  If  you  follow  my 
advice,  you  will  say  nothing  to  him  of  having  met  the 
King  —  not  for  the  present,  at  any  rate." 

She  agreed  to  this,  though  with  some  little  hesitation, 

—  then  they  ascended  the  cliff,  and  walking  by  way  of  the 
pine-wood  through  which  the  King  had  come,  arrived  at 
Ronsard's  house,  to  find  the  old  man  quite  alone,  and 
peacefully  engaged  in  tying  up  the  roses  and  jessamine 
on  the  pillars  of  his  verandah.  His  worn  face  lighted  up 
with  animation  and  tenderness  as  Gloria  approached  him 
and  threw  her  arms  around  his  neck,  and  to  her  he  related 
the  incident  of  the  King  and  Queen's  unexpected  visit,  as 
a  sort  of  accidental,  uninteresting,  and  wholly  unim- 
portant occurrence.  The  Queen,  he  said,  was  very  beauti- 
ful, but  too  cold  in  her  manner,  though  she  had  certainly 
taken  much  interest  in  seeing  the  house  and  garden. 

"  It  was  just  as  well  you  were  absent,  child,"  he  added 

—  "  Royalty  brings  an  atmosphere  with  it  which  is  not 
wholesome.  A  king  never  knows  what  it  is  to  be  an 
honest  man !  " 

"  Those  are  your  old,  discarded  theories,  Ronsard ! '' 
said  Von  Glauben,  shaking  his  head ;  —  "  You  said  you 
would  never  return  to  them !  '' 

"  Aye  !  "  rejoined  Ronsard  ;  —  "I  have  tried  to  put 
away  all  my  old  thoughts  and  dreams  for  her  sake  "  — 
and  his  gaze  rested  lovingly  on  Gloria  as,  standing  on 
tiptoe  to  reach  a  down-drooping  rose,  she  gathered  it  and 
fastened  it  in  her  bosom.  "  There  should  only  be  peace 
and  contentment  where  she  dwells!  But  sometimes  my 
life's  long  rebellion  against  sham  and  injustice  stirs  in  my 
blood,  and  I  long  to  pull  down  the  ignorant  people's  idols 
of  wood  and  straw,  and  set  up  men  in  place  of  dummies !" 

"  A  Mumbo-Jumbo  of  some  kind  has  always  been 
necessary  in  the  world,  my  friend,"  said  the  Professor 


A  Sea  Princess  i  83 

calmly ;  "  Either  in  the  shape  of  a  deity  or  a  king.  A 
wood  and  straw  Nonentity  is  better  than  an  incarnated 
fleshlv  Selfishness.  Will  you  give  me  supper  before  I 
leave?" 

Ronsard  smiled  a  cheery  assent,  and  Gloria  preceding 
them,  and  singing  in  a  low  tone  to  herself  as  she  went, 
they  all  entered  the  house  together. 

Meanwhile,  the  Royal  yacht  was  scudding  back  to  the 
mainland  over  crisp  waters  on  the  wings  of  a  soft  breeze, 
with  a  bright  moon  flying  through  fleecy  clouds  above, 
and  silvering  the  foam-crests  of  the  waves  below.  There 
was  music  on  board,  —  the  King  and  Queen  dined  with 
their  guests,  —  and  laughter  and  gay  converse  inter- 
mingled with  the  sound  of  song.  They  talked  of  their 
day's  experience  —  of  the  beauty  of  The  Islands  —  of 
Ronsard,  —  his  quaint  house  and  quainter  self,  —  so  dif- 
ferent to  the  persons  with  whom  they  associated  in  their 
own  exclusive  and  brilliant  Court  '  set,'  and  the  pretty 
Countess  Amabil  flirting  harmlessly  with  Sir  Walter 
Langton,  suggested  that  a  '  Flower  Feast '  or  Carnival 
should  be  held  during  the  summer,  for  the  surprise  and 
benefit  of  the  Islanders,  who  had  never  yet  seen  a  Royal 
pageant  of  pleasure  on  their  shores. 

But  Sir  Roger  de  Launay,  ever  watching  the  Queen, 
saw  that  she  was  very  pale,  and  more  silent  even  than 
was  her  usual  habit,  and  that  her  eyes  every  now  and 
again  rested  on  the  King,  with  something  of  wonder,  as 
well  as  fear. 


CHAPTER    XIII 

SECRET    SERVICE 

IN  one  of  the  ultra-fashionable  quarters  of  the  brilliant 
and  overcrowded  metropolis  which  formed  the  nu- 
cleus and  centre  of  everything  notable  or  progressive  in 
the  King's  dominions,  there  stood  a  large  and  aggres- 
sively-handsome house,  over-decorated  both  outside  and 
in,  and  implying  in  its  general  appearance  vulgarity,  no 
less  than  wealth.  These  two  things  go  together  very 
much  nowadays ;  in  fact  one  scarcely  ever  sees  them 
apart.  The  fair,  southern  city  of  the  sea  was  not  behind 
other  modern  cities  in  luxury  and  self-aggrandisement, 
and  there  were  certain  members  of  the  population  who 
made  it  their  business  to  show  all  they  were  worth  in 
their  domestic  and  home  surroundings.  One  of  the  most 
flagrant  money-exhibitors  of  this  kind  was  a  certain  Jew 
named  David  Jost.  Jost  was  the  sole  proprietor  of  the 
most  influential  newspaper  in  the  kingdom,  and  the 
largest  shareholder  in  three  other  newspaper  companies, 
all  apparently  differing  in  party  views,  but  all  in  reality 
working  into  the  same  hands,  and  for  the  same  ends. 
Jost  and  his  companies  virtually  governed  the  Press ; 
and  what  was  euphoniously  termed  '  public  opinion  '  was 
the  opinion  of  Jost.  Should  anything  by  chance  happen 
to  get  into  his  own  special  journal,  or  into  any  of  the 
other  journals  connected  with  Jost,  which  Jost  did  not 
approve  of,  or  which  might  be  damaging  to  Jost's  social 
or  financial  interests,  the  editor  in  charge  was  severely 
censured  ;  if  the  fault  occurred  again  he  was  promptly 
dismissed.  '  Public  opinion  '  had  to  be  formed  on  Jost's 
humour ;  otherwise  it  was  no  opinion  at  all.  A  few 
other  newspapers  led  a  precarious  existence  in  offering 
a  daily  feeble  opposition  to  Jost ;  but  they  had  not  cash 
enough  to  carry  on  the  quarrel.  Jost  secured  all  the 
advertisers,  and  as  a  natural  consequence  of  this,  could 


Secret  Service  185 

well  afford  to  be  the  '  voice  of  the  people  '  ad  libitum. 
He  was  immensely  wealthy,  openly  vicious,  and  utterly 
unscrupulous ;  and  made  brilliant  speculative  '  deals  '  in 
the  unsuspecting  natures  of  those  who  were  led,  by  that 
bland  and  cheery  demeanour  which  is  generally  associated 
with  a  large  paunch,  to  consider  him  a  '  good  fellow  ' 
with  his  '  heart  in  the  right  place.'  With  regard  to  this 
last  assertion,  it  may  be  doubted  whether  he  had  a  heart 
at  all,  in  any  place,  right  or  wrong.  He  was  certainly 
not  given  to  sentiment.  He  had  married  for  money,  and 
his  wife  had  died  in  a  mad-house.  He  was  now  anxious 
to  marry  again  for  position ;  and  while  looking  round  the 
market  for  a  sufficiently  perfect  person  of  high-breeding, 
he  patronized  the  theatre  largely,  and  '  protected  '  several 
ballet-girls  and  actresses.  Everyone  knew  that  his  life 
was  black  with  villainy  and  intrigue  of  the  most  shame- 
less kind,  yet  everyone  swore  that  he  was  a  good  man. 
Such  is  the  value  of  a  limitless  money-bag ! 

It  was  very  late  in  the  evening  of  the  day  following  that 
on  which  the  King  had  paid  his  unexpected  visit  to  The 
Islands,  —  and  David  Jost  had  just  returned  from  a 
comic  opera-house,  where  he  had  supped  in  private  with 
two  or  three  painted  heroines  of  the  footlights.  He  was 
in  an  excellent  humour  with  himself.  He  had  sprung  a 
mine  on  the  public  ;  and  a  carefully-concocted  rumour 
of  war  with  a  foreign  power  had  sent  up  certain  stocks 
and  shares  in  which  he  had  considerable  interest.  He 
smiled,  as  he  thought  of  the  general  uneasiness  he  was 
creating  by  a  few  headlines  in  his  newspaper ;  and  he 
enjoyed  to  the  full  the  tranquil  sense  of  having  flung 
a  bone  of  discord  between  two  nations,  in  order  to  watch 
them  from  his  arm-chair  fighting  like  dogs  for  it  tooth 
and  claw,  till  one  or  the  other  gave  in. 

"  Lutera  will  have  to  thank  me  for  this,"  he  said  to 
himself ;   "  And  he  will  owe  me  both  a  place  and  a  title!  " 

He  sat  down  at  his  desk  in  his  warm  and  luxuriously- 
furnished  study,  —  turned  over  a  few  letters,  and  then 
glanced  up  at  the  clock.  Its  hands  pointed  to  within  a 
few  minutes  of  midnight.  Taking  up  a  copy  of  his  own 
newspaper,  he  frowned  slightly,  as  he  saw  that  a  certain 
leading  article  in  favour  of  the  Jesuit  settlement  in  the 
country  had  not  appeared. 


i  86  "Temporal  Power' 

"  Crowded  out,  I  suppose,  for  want  of  space,"  he  said ; 
"  I  must  see  that  it  goes  in  to-morrow.  These  Jesuits 
know  a  thing  or  two ;  and  they  are  not  going  to  plank 
down  a  thousand  pounds  for  nothing.  They  have  paid 
for  their  advertisement,  and  they  must  have  it.  They 
ought  to  have  had  it  to-day.  Lutera  must  warn  the  King 
that  it  will  not  do  to  offend  the  Church.  There  's  a  lot 
of  loose  cash  lying  idle  in  the  Vatican,  —  we  may  as  well 
have  some  of  it!  His  Majesty  has  acted  most  unwisely 
in  refusing  to  grant  the  religious  Orders  the  land  they 
want.  He  must  be  persuaded  to  yield  it  to  them  by 
degrees,  —  in  exchange  of  course  for  plenty  of  cash 
down,  without  loss  of  dignity !  " 

At  that  moment  the  door-bell  rang  softly,  as  if  it  were 
pulled  with  extreme  caution.  A  servant  answered  it,  and 
at  once  came  to  his  master's  room. 

k'  A  gentleman  to  see  you,  sir,  on  business,"  he  said. 

Jost  looked  up. 

"On  business?  At  this  time  of  night?  Say  I  cannot 
see  him  —  tell  him  to  come  again  to-morrow !  " 

The  servant  withdrew,  only  to  return  again  with  a 
more  urgent  statement. 

'  The  gentleman  says  he  must  see  you,  sir ;  he  comes 
from  the  Premier." 

"From  the  Premier?" 

"  Yes,  sir ;  his  business  is  urgent,  he  says,  and  private. 
He  sent  in  his  card,  sir." 

Here  he  handed  over  the  card  in  question,  a  small, 
unobtrusive  bit  of  pasteboard,  laid  in  solitary  grandeur 
on  a  very  large  silver  salver. 

David  Jost  took  it  up,  and  scanned  it  with  some  curi- 
osity. '  Pasquin  Leroy  ' !  H'm !  Don't  know  the  name 
at  all.  '  Urgent  business  ;  bear  private  credentials  from 
the  Marquis  de  Lutera ' !  "  He  paused  again,  consider- 
ing, ■ —  then  turned  to  the  waiting  attendant.  "  Show 
him  in." 

"Yes,  sir!" 

Another  moment  and  Pasquin  Leroy  entered,  —  but 
it  was  an  altogether  different  Pasquin  Leroy  to  the  one 
that  had  recently  enrolled  himself  as  an  associate  of 
Sergius  Thord's  Revolutionary  Committee.  That  par- 
ticular Pasquin  had  seemed  somewhat  of  a  dreamer  and 


Secret  Service  187 

a  visionary,  with  a  peculiar  and  striking  resemblance  to 
the  King;  this  Pasquin  Leroy  had  all  the  alertness 
and  sharpness  common  to  a  practised  journalist,  press- 
reporter  or  commercial  traveller.  Moreover,  his  coun- 
tenance, adorned  with  a  black  mustache,  and  small  pointed 
beard,  wore  a  cold  and  concentrated  air  of  business  — 
and  he  confronted  the  Jew  millionaire  without  the  slight- 
est embarrassment  or  apology  for  having  broken  in  upon 
his  seclusion  at  so  unseasonable  an  hour.  He  used  a 
pince-nez,  and  was  constantly  putting  it  to  his  eyes,  as 
though   troubled  with   short-sightedness. 

'  I  presume  your  matter  cannot  wait,  sir,"  said  Jost, 
surveying  him  coolly,  without  rising  from  his  seat,  — 
"  but  if  it  can " 

'  It  cannot !  "  returned   Leroy,  bluntly. 

Jost  stared. 

"So!     You  come  from  the  Marquis  de  Lutera?" 

"  I  do." 

"  Your  credentials  ?  " 

Leroy  stepped  close  up  to  him,  and  with  a  sudden 
movement,  which  was  somewhat  startling,  held  up  his 
right  hand. 

'  This  signet  is,  I  believe,  familiar  to  you,  —  and  it 
will  be  enough  to  prove  that  I  come  on  confidential  busi- 
ness which  cannot  be  trusted  to  writing !  " 

Jost  gazed  at  the  flashing  sapphire  on  the  stranger's 
hand  with  a  sense  of  deadly  apprehension.  He  recognised 
the  Premier's  ring  well  enough  ;  and  he  also  knew  that 
it  would  never  have  been  sent  to  him  in  this  mysterious 
way  unless  the  matter  in  question  was  almost  too  desper- 
ate for  whispering  within  four  walls.  An  uneasy  sensa- 
tion affected  him ;  he  pulled  at  his  collar,  looked  round 
the  room  as  though  in  search  of  inspiration,  and  then 
finally  bringing  his  small,  swine-like  eyes  to  bear  on  the 
neat  soldierly  figure  before  him,  he  said  with  a  careless 
air: 

'  You  probably  bring  news  for  the  Press  affecting  the 
present  policy?  " 

'  That  remains  to  be  seen !  "  replied  Leroy  imper- 
turbably ;  "  From  a  perfectly  impartial  standpoint,  I 
should  imagine  that  the  present  policy  may  have  to  alter 
considerablv !  " 


1 88  "Temporal  Power" 

Jost  recoiled. 

"  Impossible !  It  cannot  be  altered  !  "  he  said  roughly, 
—  then  suddenly  recollecting  himself,  he  assumed  his 
usual  indolent  equanimity,  and  rising  slowly,  went  to  a 
side  door  in  the  room  and  threw  it  open. 

"Step  in  here,"  he  said;  "We  can  talk  without  fear 
of  interruption.     Will  you  smoke?" 

"With  pleasure!"  replied  Leroy,  accepting  a  cigar 
from  the  case  Jost  extended --then  glancing  with  a 
slight  smile  at  the  broad,  squat  Jewish  countenance  which 
had,  in  the  last  couple  of  minutes,  lost  something  of  its 
habitual  redness,  he  added  —  "I  am  glad  you  are  dis- 
posed to  discuss  matters  with  me  in  a  friendly,  as  well 
as  in  a  confidential  way.  It  is  possible  my  news  may 
not  be  altogether  agreeable  to  yon;  —  but  of  course  you 
would  be  more  willing  to  suffer  personally,  than  to  jeop- 
ardise the  honour  of  Ministers." 

He  uttered  the  last  sentence  more  as  a  question  than 
a  statement. 

Jost   shifted  one   foot  against  the  other  uneasily. 

"  I  am  not  so  sure  of  that."  he  said  after  a  pause,  dur- 
ing which  he  had  drawn  himself  up.  and  had  endeavoured 
to  look  conscientious ;  "  You  see  I  have  the  public  to  con- 
sider!  Ministers  may  fall;  statesmen  may  be  thrown 
out  of  office ;  but  the  Press  is  the  same  yesterday,  to-day, 
and  for  ever !  " 

"  Except  when  a  great  Editor  changes  his  opinions," 
said  Leroy  tranquilly,--"  Which  is,  of  course,  always  a 
point  of  reason  and  conscience,  as  well  as  of  —  advan- 
tage!    In  the  present  case  I   think but  —  shall   we 

not  enter  the  sanctum  of  which  you  have  so  obligingly 
opened  the  door?  We  can  scarcely  be  too  private  when 
the  King's  name  is  in  question !  " 

Jost  opened  his  furtive  eyes  in  amazement. 

"  The  King?  What  the  "devil  has  he  to  do  with  anv- 
thing  but  his  women  and  his  amusements  ?  " 

A  very  close  observer  might  have  seen  a  curious  ex- 
pression flicker  over  Pasquin  Leroy 's  face  at  these  words, 
—  an  expression  half  of  laughter,  half  of  scorn,  —  but 
it  was  slight  and  evanescent,  and  his  reply  was  frigidly 
courteous. 

'  I   really   cannot   inform  you ;    but   I   am   afraid   his 


Secret  Service  189 


Majesty  is  departing  somewhat  from  his  customary  rou- 
tine! He  is,  in  fact,  taking  an  active,  instead  of  a  passive 
part  in  national  affairs." 

"  Then  he  must  be  warned  off  the  ground !  "  said  Jost 
irritably ;  '  He  is  a  Constitutional  monarch,  and  must 
obey  the  laws  of  the  Constitution." 

'  Precisely!  '  And  Leroy  looked  carefully  at  the  enc 
of  his  cigar;  "  But  at  present  he  appears  to  have  an  idea 
that  the  laws  of  the  Constitution  are  being  tampered  with 
by  certain  other  kings  ;  —  for  example,  —  the  kings  of 
finance !  " 

Jost  muttered  a  half-inaudible  oath. 
"  Come  this  way,"  he  said  impatiently ;  —  "  Bad  news 
is  best  soon  over!  " 

Leroy  gave  a  careless  nod  of  acquiescence,  —  then 
glancing  round  the  room,  up  at  the  clock,  and  down 
again  to  Jost's  desk,  strewn  with  letters  and  documents 
of  every  description,  he  smiled  a  little  to  himself,  and  fol- 
lowed the  all-powerful  editor  into  the  smaller  adjoining 
apartment.  The  door  closed  behind  them  both,  and  Jost 
turned  the  key  in  the  lock  from  within. 

For  a  long  time  all  was  very  silent.     Jost's  valet  and 
confidential  servant,  sleepy  and  tired,  waited  in  the  hall 
to  let  his  master's  visitor  out,  —  and  hearing  no  sound, 
ventured  to  look  into  the  study  now  and  then,  —  but  to 
no  purpose.     He  knew  the  sanctity  of  that  inner  chamber 
beyond ;   he  knew  that  when  the  Premier  came  to  see  the 
great  Jost,  —  as  he  often  did,  —  it  was  in  that  mysterious 
further  room  that  business  was  transacted,  and  that  it 
was  as  much  as  his  place  was  worth  to  venture  even  to 
knock  at  the  door.     So,  yawning  heavily,  he  dozed  on  his 
bench  in  the  hall,  —  woke  with  a  start  and  dozed  again, 
—  while  the   clock   slowly  ticked   away   the   minutes   till 
with  a  dull  clang  the  hour  struck  One.     Then  on  again 
went  the  steady  and  wearisome  tick-tick  of  the  pendulum, 
for  a   quarter  of  an  hour,   half   an   hour,  —  and  three- 
quarters,  —  till    the    utterly    fatigued    valet    was    about 
to  knock  down  a  few  walking-sticks  and  umbrellas,  and 
make  a  general  noise  of  reminder  to  his  master  as  to  how 
the  time  was  going,  when,  to  his  great  relief,  he  heard 
the  inner  door  open  at  last,  and  the  voice  of  the  mysteri- 
ous visitor  ring  out  in  clear,  precise  accents. 


190  "Temporal  Power 


"  Nothing-  will  be  done  publicly,  of  course,  —  unless 
Parliament  insists  on  an  enquiry !  " 

The  speaker  came  towards  the  hall,  and  the  valet 
sprang  up  from  his  bench,  and  stood  ready  to  show  the 
stranger  out. 

Jost  replied,  and  his  accents  were  thick  and  unsteady. 

"Enquiry  cannot  be  forced!  The  Marquis  himself 
can  burk  any  such  attempt." 

"  But  —  if  the  King  should  insist  ?  " 

"  He  would  be  breaking  all  the  rules  of  custom  and 
precedent,"  said  Jost,  —  "  And  he  would  deserve  to  be 
dethroned !  " 

Pasquin  Leroy  laughed. 

"  True !  Good-night,  Mr.  Jost !  Can  I  do  anything 
for  you  in  Moscow  ?  " 

The  two  men  now  came  into  the  full  light  shed  by  the 
great  lamp  in  the  hall.  Jost  looked  darkly  red  in  the  face 
—  almost  apoplectic ;  Leroy  was  as  cool,  imperturbable 
and  easy  of  manner  as  a  practised  detective  or  profes- 
sional spy. 

"  In  Moscow,"  Jost  repeated  — "  You  are  going 
straight  to  Russia?  " 

"  I  think  so." 

"  I  suppose  you  are  in  the  secret  service?  " 

"  Exactly !  A  curious  line  of  business,  too,  which  the 
outside  world  knows  very  little  of.  Ah !  —  if  the  excel- 
lent people  —  the  masses  as  we  call  them  —  knew  what 
rogues  had  the  ruling  of  their  affairs  in  sonic  countries  — 
not  in  this  country,  of  course !  "  he  added  with  a  quizzical 
smile,  —  "  but  in  some  others,  not  very  far  away,  I  won- 
der how  many  revolutions  would  break  out  within  six 
months  !     Good-night,  Mr.  Jost !  " 

"  Good-night!  "  responded  Jost  briefly.  '  You  will  let 
me  know  any  further  developments  ?  " 

"  Most  assuredly !  " 

The  servant  opened  the  door,  and  Pasquin  Leroy 
slipped  a  gold  coin  worth  a  sovereign  into  his  hand, 
whereupon,  of  course,  the  worthy  domestic  considered 
him  to  be  a  '  real  gentleman.'  As  soon  as  he  had  passed 
into  the  street,  and  the  door  was  shut  and  barred  for  the 
night,  Jost  bade  his  man  go  to  bed,  a  command  which  was 
gladly  obeyed ;    and  re-entering  his  study,  passea  all  the 


Secret  Service  191 

time  till  the  breaking  of  dawn  in  rummaging  out  letters 
and  documents  from  various  desks,  drawers  and  de- 
spatch-boxes, and  burning  them  carefully  one  by  one  in 
the  open  grate.  While  thus  employed,  he  had  a  truly  vil- 
lainous aspect,  —  each  flame  he  kindled  with  each  paper 
seemed  to  show  up  a  more  unpleasing  expression  on  his 
countenance,  till  at  last,  —  when  such  matter  was  de- 
stroyed as  he  had  at  present  determined  on,  —  he  drew 
himself  up  and  stood  for  a  moment  surveying  the  pile  of 
light  black  ashes,  which  was  all  that  was  left  of  about  a 
hundred  or  more  incriminating  paper  witnesses  to  certain 
matters  in  which  he  had  more  than  a  lawful  interest. 

"  It  will  be  difficult  now  to  trace  my  hand  in  the 
scheme !':  he  said  to  himself,  frowning  heavily,  as  he 
considered  various  uncomfortable  contingencies  arising 
out  of  his  conversation  with  his  late  visitor.  "  If  the 
thunderbolt  falls,  it  will  crush  Carl  Perousse  —  not  me. 
Yes !  It  means  ruin  for  him  —  ruin  and  disgrace  —  but 
for  me  —  well !  I  shall  find  it  as  easy  to  damn  Perousse 
as  it  has  been  to  support  him,  for  he  cannot  involve  me 
without  adding  tenfold  to  his  own  disaster !  I  think  it 
will  be  safe  enough  for  me  —  possibly  not  so  safe  for 
the  Premier.  However,  I  will  write  to  him  to-morrow, 
just  to  let  him  know  I  received  his  messenger." 

In  the  meantime,  while  David  Jost  was  thus  cogitating 
unpleasant  and  even  dangerous  possibilities,  which  were 
perhaps  on  the  eve  of  occurring  to  himself  and  certain 
of  his  associates  in  politics  and  journalism,  Pasquin 
Leroy  was  hurrying  along  the  city  streets  under  the  light 
of  a  clear,  though  pallid  and  waning  moon.  Few  wan- 
derers were  abroad ;  the  police  walked  their  various 
rounds,  and  one  or  two  miserable  women  passed  him, 
like  flying  ghosts  in  the  thin  air  of  night.  His  mind  was 
in  a  turmoil  of  agitation  ;  and  the  thoughts  that  were 
tossing  rapidly  through  his  brain  one  upon  the  other, 
were  such  as  he  had  never  known  before.  He  had 
fathomed  a  depth  of  rascality  and  deception,  which  but 
a  short  month  ago,  he  could  scarcely  have  believed  ca- 
pable of  existence.  The  cruel  injury  and  loss  preparing 
for  thousands  of  innocent  persons  through  the  self-inter- 
ested plotting  of  a  few  men,  was  almost  incalculable,  — 
and  his  blood  burned  with  passionate  indignation  as  he 


}? 


192  "Temporal  Power 

realized  on  what  a  verge  of  misery,  bloodshed,  disaster 
and  crime  the  unthinking  people  of  the  country  stood, 
pushed  to  the  very  edge  of  a  fall  by  the  shameless  and 
unscrupulous  designs  of  a  few  financiers,  playing  their 
gambling  game  with  the  public  confidence,  —  and  cheat- 
ing nations  as  callously  as  they  would  have  cheated  their 
partners  at  cards. 

"  Thank  God,  it  is  not  too  late!  "  he  murmured;  "  Not 
quite  too  late  to  save  the  situation  !  —  to  rescue  the  people 
from  long  years  of  undeserved  taxation,  loss  of  trade  and 
general  distress !  It  is  a  supreme  task  that  has  been  given 
me  to  accomplish  !  —  but  if  there  is  any  truth  and  right 
in  the  laws  of  the  Universe,  I  shall  surely  not  be  mis- 
judged while  accomplishing  it!  " 

He  quickened  his  pace ;  —  and  to  avoid  going  up  one 
of  the  longer  thoroughfares  which  led  to  the  citadel  and 
palace,  he  decided  to  cross  one  of  the  many  picturesque 
bridges,  arched  over  certain  inlets  from  the  sea,  and 
forming  canals,  where  barges  and  other  vessels  might  be 
towed  up  to  the  very  doors  of  the  warehouses  which  re- 
ceived their  cargoes.  But  just  as  he  was  about  to  turn 
in  the  necessary  direction,  he  halted  abruptly  at  sight  of 
two  men,  standing  at  the  first  corner  in  the  way  of  his 
advance,  talking  earnestly.  He  recognized  them  at  once 
as  Sergius  Thord  and  the  half-inebriated  poet,  Paul 
Zouche.  With  noiseless  step  he  moved  cautiously  into 
the  broad  stretch  of  black  shadow  cast  by  the  great  facade 
of  a  block  of  buildings  which  occupied  half  the  length  of 
the  street  in  which  he  stood,  and  so  managing  to  slip  into 
the  denser  darkness  of  a  doorway,  was  able  to  hear  what 
they  were  saying.  The  full,  mellow,  and  persuasive  tone 
of  Thord's  voice  had  something  in  it  of  reproach. 

"  You  shame  yourself,  Zouche !  "  he  said  ;  "  You  shame 
me ;  you  shame  us  all !  Man,  did  God  put  a  light  of 
Genius  in  your  soul  merely  to  be  quenched  by  the  cravings 
of  a  bestial  body  ?  What  associate  are  you  for  us  ?  How 
can  you  help  us  in  the  fulfilment  of  our  ideal  dream  ?  By 
day  you  mingle  with  litterateurs,  scientists,  and  philoso- 
phers, —  report  has  it  that  you  have  even  managed  to 
stumble  your  way  into  my  lady's  boudoir  ;  —  but  by  night 
you  wander  like  this,  ■ —  insensate,  furious,  warped  in  soul, 
muddled  in  brain,  and  only  the  heart  of  you  alive,  —  the 


Secret  Service  193 

poor  unsatisfied  heart  —  hungering  and  crying  for  what 
itself  makes  impossible!  " 

Zouche  broke  into  a  harsh  laugh.  Turning  up  his  head 
to  the  sky,  he  thrust  back  his  wild  hair,  and  showed  his 
thin  eager  face  and  glittering  eyes,  outlined  cameo-like  by 
the  paling  radiance  of  the  moon. 

"  Well  spoken,  my  Sergius !  ':  he  exclaimed.  '  You 
always  speak  well !  Your  thoughts  are  of  flame  —  your 
speech  is  of  gold  ;  the  fire  melts  the  ore  !  And  then  again 
you  have  a  conscience !  That  is  a  strange  possession  !  — 
quite  useless  in  these  days,  like  the  remains  of  the  tail 
we  had  when  we  were  all  happy  apes  in  the  primeval 
forest,  pelting  the  Megatherium  or  other  such  remarkable 
beasts  with  cocoanuts  !  It  was  a  much  better  life,  Sergius, 
believe  me !  A  Conscience  is  merely  a  mental  Appendi- 
citis !  There  should  be  a  psychical  surgeon  with  an  airy 
lancet  to  cut  it  out.  Not  for  me !  —  I  was  born  perfect  — 
without  it !  " 

He  laughed  again,  then  with  an  abrupt  change  of  man- 
ner he  caught  Thord  violently  by  the  arm. 

"How  can  you  speak  of  shame?"  he  said  —  "What 
shame  is  left  in  either  man  or  woman  nowadays  ?  Naked 
to  the  very  skin  of  foulness,  they  flaunt  a  nudity  of  vice 
in  every  public  thoroughfare !  Your  sentiments,  my 
grand  Sergius,  are  those  of  an  old  world  long  passed 
away !  You  are  a  reformer,  a  lover  of  truth  —  a  hater 
of  shams  —  and  in  the  days  when  the  people  loved  truth, 
—  and  wanted  justice,  —  and  fought  for  both,  you  would 
have  been  great!  But  greatness  is  nowadays  judged  as 
'  madness  '  —  truth  as  '  want  of  tact  '  —  desire  for  justice 
is  'clamour  for  notoriety.'  Shame?  There  is  no  shame 
in  anything,  Sergius,  but  honesty !  That  is  a  disgrace 
to  the  century ;  for  an  honest  man  is  always  poor,  and 
poverty  is  the  worst  of  crimes."  He  threw  up  his  arms 
with  a  wild  gesture,  —  "  The  worst  of  crimes !  Do  I  not 
know  it !  " 

Thord  took  him  gently  by  the  shoulder. 
'  You  talk,  Zouche,  as  you  always  talk,  at  random, 
scarcely  knowing,  and  certainly  not  half  meaning  what 
you  say.  There  is  no  real  reason  in  your  rages  against 
fate  and  fortune.  Leave  the  accursed  drink,  and  you  may 
still  win  the  prize  you  covet  —  Fame." 

13 


194  "Temporal  Power 


>> 


"Not  I!"  said  Zouche  scornfully,  —  "Fame  in  its 
original  sense  belonged  also  to  the  growing-time  of  the 
world  —  when,  proud  of  youth  and  the  glow  of  life,  the 
full-fledged  man  judged  himself  immortal.  Fame  now  is 
adjudged  to  the  biped-machine  who  drives  a  motor-car 
best,  —  or  to  the  fortunate  soap-boiler  who  dines  with  a 
king !  Poetry  is  understood  to  be  the  useful  rhyme  which 
announces  the  virtues  of  pills  and  boot-blacking!  Mark 
you,  Sergius !  —  my  latest  volume  was  '  graciously  ac- 
cepted by  the  King  ' !    Do  you  know  what  that  means  ?  " 

'  No,"  replied  Thord,  a  trifle  coldly ;  "  And  if  it  were 
not  that  I  know  your  strange  vagaries,  I  should  say  you 
wronged  your  election  as  one  of  us,  to  send  any  of  your 
work  to  a  crowned  fool!  " 

Zouche  laughed  discordantly. 

'  You  would  ?  No,  you  would  not,  my  Sergius,  if  you 
knew  the  spirit  in  which  I  sent  it !  A  spirit  as  wild,  as 
reckless,  as  ranting,  as  defiant  as  ever  devil  indulged  in ! 
The  humility  of  my  presentation  letter  to  his  Majesty 
was  beautiful !  The  reply  of  the  flunkey-secretary  was 
equally  beautiful  in  smug  courtesy :  '  Sir,  I  am  com- 
manded by  the  King  to  thank  you  for  the  book  of  poems 
you  have  kindly  sent  for  his  acceptance !  '  I  say  again, 
Thord,  do  you  know  what  it  means  ?  " 

'  No ;  I  only  wish  that  instead  of  talking  here,  you 
would  let  me  see  you  safely  home." 

'Home!  I  have  no  home!  Since  she  died  —  "  He 
paused,  and  a  grey  shadow  crossed  his  face  like  the  hue 
of  approaching  sickness  or  death.  '  I  killed  her,  poor 
child !  Of  course  you  know  that !  I  neglected  her,  — 
deserted  her  —  left  her  to  die  !  Well !  She  is  only  one 
more  added  to  the  list  of  countless  women  martyrs  who 
have  been  tortured  out  of  an  unjust  world  —  and  now  — 
now  I  write  verses  to  her  memory !  "  He  shivered  as 
with  cold,  still  clinging  to  Thord's  arm.  "  But  I  did  not 
tell  you  what  great  good  comes  of  sending  a  book  to  the 
King!  It  means  less  to  a  writer  than  to  a  boot-maker. 
For  the  boot-maker  can  put  up  a  sign :  '  Special  Fitter 
for  the  ease  of  His  Majesty's  Corns'  —  but  if  a  poet 
should  say  his  verse  is  '  accepted  '  by  a  monarch,  the 
shrewd  public  take  it  at  once  to  be  bad  verse,  and  will 
have  none  of  it !    That  is  the  case  with  my  book  to-day !  " 


Secret  Service  195 

'  Why  did  you  send  it  ?  "  asked  Thord,  with  grave 
patience.  'Your  business  with  kings  is  to  warn,  not  to 
flatter!  " 

"  Just  so!  "  cried  Zouche;  "  And  if  His  Most  Gracious 
and  Glorious  had  been  pleased  to  look  inside  the  volume, 
he  would  have  seen  enough  to  startle  him !  It  was  sent 
in  hate,  my  Sergius,  ■ — not  in  humility,  —  just  as  the 
flunkey-secretary's  answer  was  penned  in  derision,  aping 
courtesy !  How  you  look,  under  this  wan  sky  of  night ! 
Reproachful,  yet  pitying,  as  the  eyes  of  Buddha  are  your 
eyes,  my  Sergius !  You  are  a  fine  fellow  —  your  brain 
is  a  dome  decorated  with  glorious  ideals !  —  and  yet  you 
are  like  all  of  us,  weak  in  one  point,  as  Achilles  in  the 
heel.  One  thing  could  turn  you  from  man  into  beast  — 
and  that  would  be  if  Lotys  loved  —  not  you  —  she  never 
will  love  you  —  but  another!" — Thord  started  back  as 
though  suddenly  stabbed,  and  angrily  shook  off  his  com- 
panion, who  only  laughed  again,  —  a  shrill,  echoing 
laugh  in  which  there  was  a  note  of  madness  and  desola- 
tion. '  Bah  !  "  he  exclaimed ;  "  You  are  a  fool  after  all ! 
You  work  for  a  woman  as  I  did  —  once !  But  mark  you ! 
—  do  not  kill  her — as  I  did — once!  Be  patient!  Watch 
the  light  shine,  even  though  it  does  not  illumine  your 
path  ;  be  glad  that  the  rose  blooms  for  itself,  if  not  for 
you !  It  will  be  difficult !  —  meanwhile  you  can  live  on 
hope  —  a  bitter  fruit  to  eat ;  but  gnaw  it  to  the  last  rind, 
my  Sergius !  Hope  that  Lotys  may  melt  in  your  fire,  as 
a  snowflake  in  the  sun  !  Come !  Now  take  the  poor  poet 
home,  —  the  drunken  child  of  inspiration  —  take  him 
home  to  his  garret  in  the  slums  —  the  poet  whose  book 
has  been  accepted  by  the  King !  " 

Pulling  himself  up  from  his  semi-crouching  position, 
he  seized  Thord's  arm  again  more  tightly,  and  began  to 
walk  along  unsteadily.  Presently  he  paused,  smiling 
vacantly  up  at  the  gradually  vanishing  stars. 

"  Lotys  speaks  to  our  followers  on  Saturday,"  he  said ; 
"  You  know  that?  " 

Thord  bent  his  head  in  acquiescence. 

'  You  will  be  there,  of  course.  I  shall  be  there !  What 
a  voice  she  has !  Whether  we  believe  what  she  says  or 
not,  we  must  hear,  —  and  hearing,  we  must  follow. 
Where  shall  we  drink  in  the  sweet  Oracle  this  time?" 


196  "Temporal  Power' 

"  At  the  People's  Assembly  Rooms,"  responded  Thord ; 
"  But  remember,  Zouche,  she  does  not  speak  till  nine 
o'clock.    That  means  that  you  will  be  unfit  to  listen !  " 

"You  think  so?"  responded  Zouche  airily,  and  lean- 
ing on  Thord  he  stumbled  onward,  the  two  passing  close 
in  front  of  the  doorway  where  Pasquin  Leroy  stood  con- 
cealed. "  But  I  am  more  ready  to  understand  wisdom 
when  drunk,  than  when  sober,  my  Sergius !  You  do  not 
understand.  I  am  a  human  eccentricity  —  the  result  of 
an  amour  between  a  fiend  and  an  angel!  Believe  me! 
I  will  listen  to  Lotys  with  all  my  devil-saintly  soul, 
—  you  will  listen  to  her  with  all  your  loving,  longing 
heart  —  and  with  us  two  thus  attentive,  the  opinions 
of  the  rest  of  the  audience  will  scarcely  matter !  How 
the  street  reels !  How  the  old  moon  dances !  So  did 
she  whirl  pallidly  when  Antony  clasped  his  Egyptian 
Queen,  and  lost  Actium !  Remember  the  fate  of  Antony, 
Sergius !  Kingdoms  would  have  been  seized  and  con- 
trolled by  men  such  as  you  are,  long  before  now  — 
if  there  had  not  always  been  a  woman  in  the  case  —  a 
Cleopatra  —  or  a  Lotys  !  " 

Still  laughing  foolishly,  he  reeled  onwards,  Sergius 
Thord  half-supporting,  half-leading  him,  with  grave 
carefulness  and  brotherly  compassion.  They  were  soon 
out  of  sight ;  and  Pasquin  Leroy,  leaving  his  dark  hiding- 
place,  crossed  the  bridge  with  an  alert  step,  and  mounted 
a  steep  street  leading  to  the  citadel.  From  gaps  between 
the  tall  leaning  houses  a  glimpse  of  the  sea,  silvered  by 
the  dying  moonlight,  flashed  now  and  again  ;  and  in  the 
silence  of  the  night  the  low  ripple  of  small  waves  against 
the  breakwater  could  be  distinctly  heard.  A  sense  of 
holy  calm  impressed  him  as  he  paused  a  moment ;  and 
the  words  of  an  old  monkish  verse  came  back  to  him  from 
some  far-off  depth  of  memory : 

Lord  Christ,  I  would  my  soul  were  clear  as  air, 
With  only  Thy  pure  radiance  falling  through ! 

He  caught  his  breath  hard  —  there  was  a  smarting 
sense  as  of  tears  in  his  eyes. 

"  So  proudly  throned,  and  so  unloved !  "  he  muttered. 
"Yet, — has  not  the  misprisal  and  miscomprehension  been 
merited  ?     Whose  is  the  blame  ?     Not  with  the  People, 


Secret  Service  197 

who,  despite  the  prophet's  warning,  '  still  put  their  trust 
in  princes  '  —  hut  with  the  falsity  and  hollowness  of  the 
system !  Sovereignty  is  like  an  old  ship  stuck  fast  in  the 
docks,  and  unfit  for  sailing  the  wide  seas  —  crusted  with 
barnacles  of  custom  and  prejudice,  —  and  in  every  gale 
of  wind  pulling  and  straining  at  a  rusty  chain  anchor. 
But  the  spirit  of  Change  is  in  the  world ;  a  hurrying 
movement  that  has  wings  of  fire,  and  might  possibly  be 
called  Revolution !  It  is  better  that  the  torch  should  be 
lighted  from  the  Throne  than  from  the  slums ! ': 

He  went  on  his  way  quickly,  —  till  reaching  the  outer 
wall  of  the  citadel,  he  was  challenged  by  a  sentinel,  to 
whom  he  gave  the  password  in  a  low  tone.  The  man 
drew  back,  satisfied,  and  Leroy  went  on,  mounting  from 
point  to  point  of  the  cliff,  till  he  reached  a  private  gate 
leading  into  the  wide  park-lands  which  skirted  the  King's 
palace.  Here  stood  a  muffled  and  cloaked  figure  evidently 
watching  for  him ;  for  as  soon  as  he  appeared  the  gate 
was  noiselessly  opened  for  his  admittance,  and  he  passed 
in  at  once.  Then  he  and  the  person  who  had  awaited  his 
coming,  walked  together  through  the  scented  woods  of 
pine  and  rhododendrons,  and  talking  in  low  and  confi- 
dential voices,  slowly  disappeared. 


CHAPTER    XIV 

THE    KING'S   VETO 

THE  Marquis  de  Lutera  was  a  heavy  sleeper,  and  for 
some  time  had  been  growing  stouter  than  was 
advisable  for  the  dignity  of  a  Prime  Minister.  He  had 
been  defeated  of  late  years  in  one  or  two  important 
measures;  and  his  colleague,  Carl  Perousse,  had  by 
gradual  degrees  succeeded  in  worming  himself  into  such 
close  connection  with  the  rest  of  the  members  of  the 
Cabinet,  that  he,  Lutera,  felt  himself  being  edged  out, 
not  only  from  political  '  deals,'  but  from  the  profits  apper- 
taining thereto.  So,  growing  somewhat  indifferent,  as 
well  as  disgusted  at  the  course  affairs  were  taking,  he 
had  made  up  his  mind  to  retire  from  office,  as  soon  as  he 
had  carried  through  a  certain  Bill  which,  in  its  results, 
would  have  the  effect  of  crippling  the  people  of  the 
country,  while  helping  on  his  own  interests  to  a  consider- 
able degree.  At  the  immediate  moment  he  had  a  chance 
of  looming  large  on  the  political  horizon.  Carl  Perousse 
could  not  do  anything  of  very  great  importance  without 
him ;  they  were  both  too  deeply  involved  together  in  the 
same  schemes.  In  point  of  fact,  if  Perousse  could  bring 
the  Premier  to  a  fall,  the  Premier  could  do  the  same  by 
Perousse.  The  two  depended  on  each  other  ;  and  Lutera, 
conscious  that  if  Perousse  gained  any  fresh  accession  of 
power,  it  would  be  to  his,  Lutera's,  advantage,  was  gradu- 
ally preparing  to  gracefully  resign  his  position  in  the 
younger  and  more  ambitious  man's  favour.  But  he  was 
not  altogether  comfortable  in  his  mind  since  his  last 
interview  with  the  King.  The  King  had  shown  unusual 
signs  of  self-will  and  obstinacy.  He  had  presumed  to 
give  a  command  affecting  the  national  policy ;  and, 
moreover,  he  had  threatened,  if  his  command  were  not 
obeved,  to  address  Parliament  himself  on  the  subject  in 
hand,  from  the  Throne.     Such  an  unaccustomed,  uncon- 


The  King's  Veto  199 

stitutional  idea  was  very  upsetting  to  the  Premier's  mind. 
It  had  cost  him  a  sleepless  night ;  and  when  he  woke  to 
a  new  day's  work,  he  was  in  an  extremely  irritable  hu- 
mour. He  was  doubtful  how  to  act ;  —  for  to  complain 
of  the  King  would  not  do ;  and  to  enlighten  the  members 
of  the  Cabinet  as  to  his  Majesty's  declared  determination 
to  dispose  amicably  of  certain  difficulties  with  a  foreign 
power,  which  the  Ministry  had  fully  purposed  fanning  up 
into  a  flame  of  war,  might  possibly  awaken  a  storm  of 
dissension  and  discussion. 

"  We  all  want  money!  "  said  the  Marquis  gloomily,  as 
he  rose  from  his  tumbled  bed  to  take  his  first  breakfast, 
and  read  his  early  morning  letters  —  "  And  to  crush  a 
small  and  insolent  race,  whose  country  is  rich  in  mineral 
product,  is  simply  the  act  of  squeezing  an  orange  for  the 
necessary  juice.  Life  would  be  lost,  of  course,  but  we 
are  over-populated ;  and  a  good  war  would  rid  the 
country  of  many  scamps  and  vagabonds.  Widows  and 
orphans  could  be  provided  for  by  national  subscriptions, 
invested  as  the  Ministry  think  fit,  and  paid  to  applicants 
after  about  twenty  years'  waiting!  "  He  smiled  sardoni- 
cally. '  The  gain  to  ourselves  would  be  incalculable ; 
new  wealth,  new  schemes,  new  openings  for  commerce 
and  speculation  in  every  way !  And  now  the  King  sets 
himself  up  as  an  obstacle  to  progress !  If  he  were  fond 
of  money,  we  could  explain  the  whole  big  combine,  and 
offer  him  a  share ;  —  but  with  a  character  such  as  he 
possesses,  I  doubt  if  it  would  work !  With  some  mon- 
archs  whom  I  could  name,  it  would  be  perfectly  easy. 
And  yet,  —  for  the  three  years  he  has  been  on  the  throne, 
he  has  been  passive  enough,  —  asking  no  questions, 
—  signing  such  documents  as  he  has  been  told  to  sign,- 
uttering  such  speeches  as  have  been  written  for  him,  — 
and  I  was  never  more  shocked  and  taken  aback  in  my  life 
than  yesterday  morning,  when  he  declared  he  had  decided 
to  think  and  act  for  himself !  Simply  preposterous  !  An 
ordinary  man  who  presumes  to  think  and  act  for  himself 
is  always  a  danger  to  the  community  —  but  a  king ! 
Good  Heavens !  We  should  have  the  old  feudal  system 
back  again." 

He  sipped  his  coffee  leisurely,  and  opened  a  few  letters ; 
there  were  none  of  very  pressing  importance.     He  was 


200  "Temporal  Power' 

just  about  to  glance  through  the  morning's  newspaper, 
when  his  man-servant  entered  bearing  a  note  marked 
'  Private  and  Immediate.'  He  recognized  the  hand- 
writing of  David  Jost. 

"  Anyone  waiting  for  an  answer?  "  he  enquired. 

"  No,  Excellency." 

The  man  retired.  The  Marquis  broke  the  large 
splotchy  seal  bearing  the  coat-of-arms  which  Jost  af- 
fected, but  to  which  he  had  no  more  right  than  the 
man  in  the  moon,  and  read  what  seemed  to  him  more 
inexplicable  than  the  most  confusing  conundrum  ever 
invented. 

"  My  Dear  Marquis,  —  I  received  your  confidential 
messenger  last  night,  and  explained  the  entire  situation. 
He  left  for  Moscow  this  morning,  but  will  warn  us  of  any 
further  developments.  Sorry  matters  look  so  grave  for 
you.  Should  like  a  few  minutes  private  chat  when  you 
can  spare  the  time.  — 

"  Yours  truly,  David  Jost." 

Over  and  over  again  the  Marquis  read  this  brief  note, 
staring  at  its  every  word  and  utterly  unable  to  understand 
its  meaning. 

"  What  in  the  world  is  the  fellow  driving  at !  "  he 
exclaimed  angrily— "'My  messenger'!  'Explained  the 
entire  situation  ' !  The  devil !  '  Left  for  Moscow  ' ! 
Upon  my  soul,  this  is  maddening !  "  And  he  rang  the 
bell  sharply. 

"Who  brought  this  note?"  he  asked,  as  his  servant 

entered. 

"  Mr.  Jost's  own  man,  Excellency." 

"  Has  he  gone?  " 

"  Yes,  Excellency." 

"  Wait!  "  And  sitting  down  he  wrote  hastily  the  fol- 
lowing lines : 

"  Dear  Sir,  —  Your  letter  is  inexplicable.  I  sent  no 
messenger  to  you  last  night.  If  you  have  any  explanation 
to  offer,  I  shall  be  disengaged  and  alone  till  11.30  this 

morning. 

"  Yours  truly,  —  De  Lutera." 


The  King's  Veto  201 

Folding,  sealing,  and  addressing  this,  he  marked  it 
'  Private  '  and  gave  it  to  his  man. 

"  Take  this  yourself,"  he  said,  "  and  put  it  into  Mr. 
Jost's  own  hands.  Trust  no  one  to  deliver  it.  Ask 
to  see  him  personally,  and  then  give  it  to  him.  You 
understand  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Excellency." 

His  note  thus  despatched,  the  Marquis  threw  himself 
down  in  his  arm-chair,  and  again  read  Jost's  mysterious 
communication. 

'  Whatever  messenger  has  passed  himself  off  as  coming 
from  me,  Jost  must  have  been  crazy  to  receive  him  with- 
out credentials,"  he  said.  '  There  must  be  a  mistake 
somewhere !  " 

A  vague  alarm  troubled  him ;  he  was  not  moved  by 
conscientious  scruples,  but  the  idea  that  any  of  his  secret 
moves  should  be  '  explained  '  to  a  stranger  was,  to  say 
the  least  of  it,  annoying,  and  not  conducive  to  the  tran- 
quillity of  his  mind.  A  thousand  awkward  possibilities 
suggested  themselves  at  once  to  his  brain,  and  as  he  car- 
ried a  somewhat  excitable  disposition  under  his  heavy  and 
phlegmatic  exterior,  he  fumed  and  fretted  himself  for  the 
next  half  hour  into  an  impatience  which  only  found  vent 
in  the  prosaic  and  everyday  performance  of  dressing 
himself.  Ah  !  —  if  those  who  consider  a  Prime  Minister 
great  and  exalted,  could  only  see  him  as  he  pulls  on  his 
trousers,  and  fastens  his  shirt  collar,  what  a  disillusion 
would  be  promptly  effected !  Especially  if,  like  the  Mar- 
quis de  Lutera,  he  happened  to  be  over-stout,  and  difficult 
to  clothe !  This  particular  example  of  Premiership  was 
an  ungainly  man ;  his  proud  position  could  not  make  him 
handsome,  nor  lend  true  dignity  to  his  deportment.  Old 
Mother  Nature  has  a  way  of  marking  her  specimens,  if 
we  will  learn  to  recognize  the  signs  she  sets  on  certain 
particular  '  makes  '  of  man.  The  Marquis  de  Lutera  was 
'  made  '  to  be  a  stock-jobber,  not  a  statesman.  His  bent 
was  towards  the  material  gain  and  good  of  himself,  more 
than  the  advantage  of  his  country.  His  reasoning  was  a 
slight  variation  of  Falstaff's  logical  misprisal  of  honour. 
He  argued;  'HI  am  poor,  then  what  is  it  to  me  that 
others  are  rich?  If  I  am  neglected,  what  do  I  care  that 
the  people  are  prosperous  ?     Let  me  but  secure  and  keep 


202  "Temporal  Power' 

those  certain  millions  of  money  which  shall  ensure  to  me 
and  my  heritage  a  handsome  endowment,  not  only  for 
my  life,  but  for  all  lives  connected  with  mine  which  come 
after  me,  —  and  my  '  patriotism  '  is  satisfied  !  " 

He  had  just  finished  insinuating  himself  by  degrees 
into  his  morning  coat,  when  his  servant  entered. 

"  Well !  "  he  asked  impatiently. 

'  Mr.  Jost  is  coming  round  at  once,  Excellency.  He 
ordered  his  carriage  directly  he  read  your  note." 

"  He  sent  no  answer?  " 

"  None,  Excellency." 

"  When  he  arrives,  show  him  into  the  library." 

"  Yes,  Excellency." 

The  Marquis  thereupon  left  his  sleeping  apartment, 
and  descended  to  the  library  himself.  The  sun  was 
streaming  brilliantly  into  the  room,  and  the  windows, 
thrown  wide  open,  showed  a  cheerful  display  of  lawn  and 
flower-garden,  filled  with  palms  and  other  semi-tropical 
shrubs,  for  though  the  Premier's  house  was  in  the  centre 
of  the  fashionable  quarter  of  the  city,  it  had  the  advan- 
tage of  extensive  and  well-shaded  grounds.  A  law  had 
been  passed  in  the  late  King's  time  against  the  felling  of 
trees,  it  having  been  scientifically  proved  that  trees  in 
a  certain  quantity,  not  only  purify  the  air  from  disease 
germs  affecting  the  human  organization,  but  also  save 
the  crops  from  many  noxious  insect-pests  and  poisonous 
fungi.  Having  learned  the  lesson  at  last,  that  the  Al- 
mighty may  be  trusted  to  know  His  own  business,  and 
that  trees  are  intended  for  wider  purposes  than  mere 
timber,  the  regulations  were  strict  concerning  them.  No 
one  could  fell  a  tree  on  his  own  ground  without,  first  of 
all,  making  a  statement  at  the  National  Office  of  Abori- 
culture  as  to  the  causes  for  its  removal ;  and  only  if  these 
causes  were  found  satisfactory,  could  a  stamped  permis- 
sion be  obtained  for  cutting  it  down  or  '  lifting  '  it  to 
other  ground.  The  result  of  this  sensible  regulation  was 
that  in  the  hottest  days  of  summer  the  city  was  kept  cool 
and  shady  by  the  rich  foliage  branching  out  everywhere, 
and  in  some  parts  running  into  broad  avenues  and  groves 
of  great  thickness  and  beauty.  The  Marquis  de  Lutera's 
garden  had  an  additional  charm  in  a  beautiful  alley  of 
orange  trees,  and  the  fragrance  wafted  into  his  room  from 


The  King's  Veto  203 

the  delicious  blossoms  would  have  refreshed  and  charmed 
anyone  loss  troubled,  worried  and  feverish,  than  he  was 
at  the  time.  But  this  morning'  the  very  sunshine  annoyed 
him ;  —  never  a  great  lover  of  Nature,  the  trees  and 
flowers  forming  the  outlook  on  which  his  heavy  eyes 
rested  were  almost  an  affront.  The  tranquil  beauty  of  an 
ever  renewed  and  renewing  Nature  is  always  particularly 
offensive  to  an  uneasy  conscience  and  an  exhausted  mind. 

The  sound  of  wheels  grinding  along  the  outer  drive 
brought  a  faint  gleam  of  satisfaction  on  his  brooding 
features,  and  he  turned  sharply  round,  as  the  door  of  the 
library  was  thrown  open  to  admit  Jost,  whose  appearance, 
despite  his  jaunty  manner,  betokened  evident  confusion 
and  alarm. 

"Good-morning,  Mr.  Jost!"  said  the  Marquis  stiffly, 
as  his  confidential  man  ushered  in  the  visitor, — then 
when  the  servant  had  retired  and  closed  the  door,  he 
added  quickly-     '  Now  what  does  this  mean?  " 

Jost  dropped  into  a  chair,  and  pulling  out  a  handker- 
chief wiped  the  perspiration  from  his  brow. 

'1  don't  know!"  he  said  helplessly;  'I  don't  know 
what  it  means !  I  have  told  you  the  truth !  A  man  came 
to  see  me  late  last  night,  saying  he  was  sent  by  you  on 
urgent  business.  He  said  you  wished  me  to  explain  the 
position  we  held,  and  the  amount  of  the  interests  we  had 
at  stake,  as  there  were  grave  discoveries  pending,  and 
complexities  likely  to  ensue.  He  gave  his  name  —  there 
is  his  card  !  " 

And  with  a  semi-groan,  he  threw  down  the  bit  of 
pasteboard  in  question. 

The  Marquis  snatched  it  up. 
'  Pasquin  Leroy ' !  I  never  heard  the  name  in  my 
life,"  he  said  fiercely.  'Jost,  you  have  been  done!  You 
mean  to  tell  me  you  were  such  a  fool  as  to  trust  an  entire 
stranger  with  the  whole  financial  plan  of  campaign,  and 
that  you  were  credulous  enough  to  believe  that  he  came 
from  me — me — De  Lutera,  —  without  any  credentials?" 

"  Credentials !  "  exclaimed  Jost ;  "  Do  you  suppose  I 
would  have  received  him  at  all  had  credentials  been  lack- 
ing ?  Not  I !  He  brought  me  the  most  sure  and  confi- 
dential sign  of  your  trust  that  could  be  produced  —  your 
own  signet-ring!  " 


>» 


204  "Temporal  Power 

The  Marquis  staggered  back,  as  though  Jost's  words 
had  been  so  many  direct  blows  on  the  chest,  —  his  coun- 
tenance turned  a  livid  white. 

"My  signet-ring!"  he  repeated,  —  and  almost  uncon- 
sciously he  looked  at  the  hand  from  which  the  great  jewel 
was  missing ;    "  My  signet !  "  —  Then  he  forced  a  smile 

—  "  Jost,  I  repeat,  you  have  been  done !  —  doubly  fooled  ! 

—  no  one  could  possibly  have  obtained  my  signet,  —  for 
at  this  very  moment  it  is  on  the  hand  of  the  King ! ': 

Jost  rose  slowly  out  of  his  chair,  his  eyes  protruding 
out  of  his  head,  his  jaw  almost  dropping  in  the  extremity 
of  his  amazement. 

"  The  King !  "  —  he  gasped "  The  King !  " 

'  Yes,  man,  the  King !  "  repeated  De  Lutera  impa- 
tiently,—  "  Only  yesterday  morning  his  Majesty,  having 
mislaid  his  own  ring  for  the  moment,  borrowed  mine  just 
before  starting  on  his  yachting  cruise.  How  you  stare ! 
You  have  been  fooled !  —  that  is  perfectly  plain  and 
evident !  " 

'  The    King !  "    repeated    Jost    stupidly  —  "  Then    the 

man  who  came  to  me  last  night "     He  broke  off, 

unable  to  find  any  words  for  the  expression  of  the 
thoughts  which  began  to  terrify  him. 

'Well!  —  the  man  who  came  to  you  last  night," 
echoed  the  Marquis,  —  "  He  was  not  the  King,  I  suppose, 
was  he  ?  "    And  he  laughed  derisively. 

"  No  —  he  was  not  the  King,"  said  Jost  slowly ;  '  I 
know  him  well  enough !  But  it  might  have  been  someone 
in  the  King's  service !  For  he  knew,  or  said  he  knew,  the 
King's  intentions  in  a  certain  matter  affecting  both  you 
and  Carl  Perousse,  —  and  in  a  more  distant  way,  myself 

—  and  warned  me  of  a  coming  change  in  the  policy.    Ah  ! 

—  it  is  now  your  turn  to  stare,  Marquis !  You  had  best 
be  on  your  guard,  for  if  the  person  who  came  to  me  last 
night  was  not  your  messenger,  he  was  the  King's  spy! 
And,  in  that  case,  we  are  lost !  " 

The  Marquis  paced  the  room  with  long  uneven  strides, 

—  his  mind  was  greatly  agitated,  but  he  had  no  wish  to 
show  his  perturbation  too  openly  to  one  whom  he  con- 
sidered as  a  mere  tool  in  his  service. 

'  I  know."  went  on  Jost  emphatically,  "  that  the  ring 
he  wore  was  yours !    I  noticed  it  particularly  while  I  was 


The  King's  Veto  205 

talking  to  him.  It  would  take  a  long  time  and  excep- 
tional skill  to  make  any  imitation  of  that  sapphire.  There 
is  no  doubt  that  it  was  your  signet !  " 

The  Premier  halted  suddenly  in  his  nervous  walk. 

"  You  told  him  the  whole  scheme,  you  say  ?  " 

"  I  did." 

"  And  his  reply?  " 

"  Was,  that  the  King  had  discovered  it,  and  proposed 
insisting  on  an  enquiry." 

"  And  then  ?  " 

"  Well !  Then  he  warned  me  to  look  out  for  myself,  — 
as  anyone  connected  with  Carl  Perousse's  financial  deal 
would  inevitably  be  ruined  during  the  next  few  weeks." 

"  Who  is  going  to  work  the  ruin?  "  asked  the  Marquis 
with  a  sneer ;  "  Do  you  not  know  that  if  the  King  dared 
to  give  an  opinion  on  a  national  crisis,  he  would  be 
dethroned?  " 

"  There  are  the  People  —  "  began  Jost. 

"The  People!  Human  emmets  —  born  for  crushing 
under  the  heel  of  power !  A  couple  of  '  leaders  '  in  your 
paper,  Jost,  can  guide  the  fool-mob  any  way !  '! 

"  That  depends!  "  said  Jost  hesitatingly;  '  If  what  the 
fellow  said  last  night  be  true " 

"It  is  not  true!"  said  the  Premier  authoritatively. 
"  We  are  going  on  in  precisely  the  same  course  as  orig- 
inally arranged.  Neither  King  nor  People  can  interfere ! 
Go  home,  and  write  an  article  about  love  of  country,  Jost ! 
You  look  in  the  humour  for  it !  " 

The  Jew's  expression  was  anything  but  amiable. 

"What   is   to  be   done   about   last   night?"    he   asked 

sullenly. 

"  Nothing  at  presnt.  I  am  going  to  the  palace  at  two 
o'clock  -  - 1  shall  see  the  King,  and  find  out  whether  my 
signet  is  lost,  stolen  or  Strayed.  Meanwhile,  keep  your 
own  counsel !  If  you  have  been  betrayed  into  giving  your 
confidence  to  a  spy  in  the  foreign  service,  as  I  imagine  - 
( for  the  King  has  never  employed  a  spy,  and  is  not  likely 
to  do  so),  and  he  makes  known  his  information,  it  can  be 
officially  denied.  The  official  denial  of  a  Government, 
Jost,  like  charity,  has  before  now  covered  a  multitude  of 
sins !  " 

An  instinctive  disinclination   for   further  conversation 


206         "Temporal  Power' 

brought  the  interview  between  them  abruptly  to  a  close, 
and  Jost,  full  of  a  suspicious  alarm,  which  he  was  ashamed 
to  confess,  drove  off  to  his  newspaper  offices.  The  Pre- 
mier, meantime,  though  harassed  by  secret  anxiety,  man- 
aged to  display  his  usual  frigid  equanimity,  when,  after 
Jost's  departure,  his  private  secretary  arrived  at  the 
customary  time,  to  transact  under  his  orders  the  corre- 
spondence and  business  of  the  day.  This  secretary, 
Eugene  Silvano  by  name,  was  a  quiet  self-contained 
young  man,  highly  ambitious,  and  keenly  interested  in 
the  political  situation,  and,  though  in  the  Premier's  ser- 
vice, not  altogether  of  his  way  of  thinking.  He  called 
the  Marquis's  attention  now  to  a  letter  that  had  missed 
careful  reading  on  the  previous  day.  It  was  from  the 
Vicar-General  of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  expressing  sur- 
prise and  indignation  that  the  King  should  have  refused 
the  Society's  request  for  such  land  as  was  required  to  be 
devoted  to  religious  and  educational  purposes,  and  beg- 
ging that  the  Premier  would  exert  his  influence  with  the 
monarch  to  persuade  him  to  withdraw  or  mitigate  his 
refusal. 

'I  can  do  nothing;"  said  the  Marquis  irritably, — 
"  the  lands  they  want  belong  to  the  Crown.  The  King 
can  dispose  of  them  as  he  thinks  best." 

The  secretary  set  the  letter  aside. 

'  Shall  I  reply  to  that  effect  ?  "  he  enquired. 

The  Marquis  nodded. 

'  I  know,"  said  Silvano  presently  with  a  slight  hesi- 
tation, "  that  you  never  pay  any  attention  to  anonymous 
communications.  Otherwise,  there  is  one  here  which 
might  merit  consideration." 

"  What  does  it  concern  ?  " 

"  A  revolutionary  meeting,"  replied  Silvano,  "  where  it 
appears  the  woman,  Lotys,  is  to  speak." 

The  Premier  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  smiled. 
'  You  must  enlighten  me  !    Who  is  the  woman  Lotys  ?  " 

"Ah,  that  no  one  exactly  knows  !"  replied  the  secretary. 

:'  A   strange   character,    without    doubt,    but "      He 

paused  and  spoke  more  emphatically — "She  has  power!" 

Lutera  gave  a  gesture  of  irritation. 

'  Bah !  Over  whom  does  she  exercise  it.  Over  one 
man  or  many  ?  " 


The  King's  Veto  207 

"  Over  one  half  the  population  at  least,"  responded 
Silvano,  quietly,  turning  over  a  few  papers  without 
looking  up. 

The  Marquis  stared  at  him,  slightly  amused. 

'  Have  you  taken  statistics  of  the  lady's  followers,"  lie 
asked  ;    "  Are  you  one  of  them  yourself  ?  " 

Silvano  raised  his  eyes,  —  clear  dark  eyes,  deep-set  and 
steady  in  their  glance. 

'  Were  I  so,  I  should  not  be  here ;  "  he  replied  --  "  But 
I  know  how  she  speaks ;  I  know  what  she  does !  and 
from  a  purely  political  point  of  view  I  think  it  unwise  to 
ignore  her." 

'  What  is  this  anonymous  communication  you  speak 
of?  "  asked  the  Premier,  after  a  pause. 

"  Oh,  it  is  brief  enough,"  answered  Silvano  unfolding 
a  paper,  and  he  read  aloud  : 

"  To  the  Marquis  de  Lutera,  Premier. 

:'  Satisfy  yourself  that  those  who  meet  on  Saturday 
night  where  Lotys  speaks,  have  already  decided  on  your 
downfall !  " 

"Oracular!"  said  the  Marquis  carelessly;  —  "To 
decide  is  one  thing  —  to  fulfil  the  decision  is  another ! 
Lotys,  whoever  she  may  be,  can  preach  to  her  heart's 
content,  for  all  I  care !  I  am  rather  surprised,  Silvano, 
that  a  man  of  your  penetration  and  intelligence  should 
attach  any  importance  to  revolutionary  meetings,  which 
are  always  going  on  more  or  less  in  every  city  under  the 
sun.  Why,  it  was  but  the  other  day,  the  police  were  sent 
to  disperse  a  crowd  which  had  gathered  round  the  fanatic, 
Sergius  Thord ;  only  the  people  had  sufficient  sense  to  dis- 
perse themselves.  A  street-preacher  or  woman  ranter  is 
like  a  cheap-jack  or  a  dispenser  of  quack  medicines ;  — 
the  mob  gathers  to  such  persons  out  of  curiosity,  not 
conviction." 

The  secretary  made  no  reply,  and  went  on  with  other 
matters  awaiting  his  attention. 

At  a  few  minutes  before  two  o'clock  the  Marquis 
entered  his  carriage,  and  was  driven  to  the  palace.  There 
he  learned  that  the  King  was  receiving,  more  or  less 
unofficially,  certain  foreign  ambassadors  and  noblemen 
of  repute  in  the  Throne-room.     A  fine  band  was  playing 


208  "Temporal   Power' 

military  music  in  the  great  open  quadrangle  in  front  of 
the  palace,  where  pillars  of  rose-marble,  straight  as  the 
stems  of  pine-trees,  held  up  fabulous  heraldic  griffins, 
clasping  between  their  paws  the  country's  shield.     Flags 

were     flying,  —  fountains     flashing, gay     costumes 

gleamed   here   and   there, and   the   atmosphere   was 

full  of  brilliancy  and  gaiety, yet  the  Marquis,  on  his 

way  to  the  audience-chamber,  was  rendered  uncomfort- 
ably aware  of  one  of  those  mysterious  impressions  which 
are  sometimes  conveyed  to  us,  we  know  not  how,  but 
which  tend  to  prepare  us  for  surprise  and  disappointment. 
Some  extra  fibre  of  sensitiveness  in  his  nervous  organiza- 
tion was  acutely  touched,  for  he  actually  fancied  he  saw 
slighting  and  indifferent  looks  on  the  faces  of  the  various 
flunkeys  and  retainers  who  bowed  him  along  the  different 
passages,  or  ushered  him  up  the  state  stairway,  when  — 
as  a  matter  of  fact,  —  all  was  precisely  the  same  as  usual, 
and  it  was  only  his  own  conscience  that  gave  imaginary 
hints  of  change.  Arrived  at  the  ante-chamber  to  the 
Throne-room,  he  was  surprised  to  find  Prince  Humphry 
there,  talking  animatedly  to  the  King's  physician,  Pro- 
fessor Von  Glauben.  The  Prince  seemed  unusually  ex- 
cited ;  his  face  was  flushed,  and  his  eyes  extraordinarily 
brilliant,  and  as  he  saw  the  Premier,  he  came  forward, 
extending  his  hand,  and  almost  preventing  Lutera's  pro- 
found bow  and  deferential  salutation. 

"Have  you  business  with  the  King,  Marquis?"  en- 
quired the  young  man  with  a  light  laugh.  '  If  you 
have,  you  must  do  as  I  am  doing,  —  wait  his  Majesty's 
pleasure !  " 

The  Premier  lifted  his  eyebrows,  smiled  deprecatingly, 
and  murmuring  something  about  pressure  of  State  affairs, 
shook  hands  with  Von  Glauben,  whose  countenance,  as 
usual,  presented  an  impenetrable  mask  to  his  thoughts. 

"  It  is  rather  a  new  experience  for  me,"  continued  the 
Prince,  "  to  be  treated  as  a  kind  of  petitioner  on  the  King's 
favour,  and  kept  in  attendance,  —  but  no  matter !  — 
novelty  is  always  pleasing !  I  have  been  cooling  my  heels 
here  for  more  than  an  hour.  Von  Glauben,  too,  has  been 
waiting ;  —  contrary  to  custom,  he  has  not  even  been 
permitted  to  enquire  after  his  Majesty's  health  this 
morning !  " 


The  King's  Veto  209 

Lutera  maintained  his  former  expression  of  polite  sur- 
prise, but  said  nothing.  Instinct  warned  him  to  be  spar- 
ing of  words  lest  he  should  betray  his  own  private  anxiety. 

The  Prince  went  on  carelessly. 

"  Majesty  takes  humours  like  other  men,  and  must, 
more  than  other  men,  I  suppose,  be  humoured !  Yet  there 
is  to  my  mind  something  unnatural  in  a  system  which 
causes  several  human  beings  to  be  dependent  on  another's 
caprice!  " 

'  You  will  not  say  so,  Sir,  when  you  yourself  are  King," 
observed  the  Marquis. 

'  Long  distant  be  the  day !  "  returned  the  Prince.  "  In- 
deed, I  hope  it  may  never  be !  I  would  rather  be  the 
simplest  peasant  ploughing  the  fields,  and  happy  in  my 
own  way,  than  suffer  the  penalties  and  pains  surrounding 
the  possession  of  a  Throne !  " 

"  Only,"  put  in  Von  Glauben  sententiously,  '  you 
would  have  to  take  into  consideration,  Sir,  whether  the 
peasant  ploughing  the  fields  is  happy  in  his  own  way.  I 
have  made  '  the  peasant  ploughing  the  fields  '  a  special 
form  of  study,  —  and  1  have  always  found  him  a  re- 
markably discontented,  often  ill-fed  —  and  therefore 
unhealthy  individual." 

'  We  are  all  discontented,  if  it  comes  to  that !  "  said 
Prince  Humphry  with  a  light  laugh,  —  "  Except  myself ! 
I  am  perfectly  contented  !  " 

'  You  have  reason  to  be,  Sir,"  said  Lutera,  bowing 
low. 

"You  are  quite  right,  Marquis!  —  I  have!  More 
reason  than  perhaps  you  are  aware  of!  " 

His  eyes  lightened  and  flashed  ;  he  looked  unusually 
handsome,  and  the  Premier's  shifty  glance  rested  on  him 
for  a  moment  with  a  certain  curiosity.  But  he  had  not 
been  accustomed  to  pay  very  much  attention  to  the  words 
or  actions  of  the  Heir-Apparent,  considering  him  to  be  a 
very  '  ordinary  '  young  man,  without  either  the  brilliancy 
or  the  ambition  which  should  mark  him  out  as  worthy  of 
his  exalted  station.  And  before  any  further  conversation 
could  take  place,  Sir  Roger  de  Launay  entered  the  room 
and  announced  to  the  Marquis  that  the  King  was  ready 
to  receive  him.  Prince  Humphry  turning  sharply  round, 
faced  the  equerry. 

14 


210  "Temporal  Power' 

"I  am  still  to  wait?"  he  enquired,  with  a  slight  touch  of 
hauteur. 

Sir  Roger  bowed  respectfully. 

"  Your  instant  desire  to  see  the  King,  your  father.  Sir, 
was  communicated  to  his  Majesty  at  once,"  he  replied. 
'  The  present  delay  is  by  his  Majesty's  own  orders.     I 
much  regret " 

'  Regret  nothing,  my  dear  Sir  Roger,"  he  said.  "  My 
patience  does  not  easily  tire !  Marquis,  I  trust  your  busi- 
ness will  not  take  long  ?  " 

'  I  shall  endeavour  to  make  it  as  brief  as  possible,  Sir," 
replied  the  Premier  deferentially  as  he  withdrew. 

It  was  with  a  certain  uneasiness,  however,  in  his  mind 
that  he  followed  Sir  Roger  to  the  Throne-room.  There 
was  no  possibility  of  exchanging  so  much  as  a  word  with 
the  equerry ;  besides,  De  Launay  was  not  a  talking  man. 
Passing  between  the  lines  of  attendants,  pages,  lords-in- 
waiting  and  others,  he  was  conscious  of  a  certain  loss  of 
his  usual  self-possession  as  he  found  himself  at  last  in  the 
presence  of  the  King,  —  who,  attired  in  brilliant  uniform, 
was  conversing  graciously  and  familiarly  with  a  select 
gn  >up  of  distinguished  individuals  whose  costume  be- 
tokened them  as  envoys  or  visitors  from  foreign  courts 
in  the  diplomatic  service.  Perceiving  the  Premier,  how- 
ever, he  paused  in  his  conversation,  and  standing  quite 
still  awaited  his  approach.  Then  he  extended  his  hand, 
with  his  usual  kindly  condescension.  Instinctively  Lu- 
tera's  eyes  searched  that  hand,  with  the  expression  of  a 
guilty  soul  searching  for  a  witness  to  its  innocence. 
There  shone  the  great  sapphire  —  his  own  signet  —  and 
to  his  excited  fancy  its  blue  glimmer  emitted  a  witch-like 
glow  of  menace.     Meanwhile  the  King  was  speaking. 

'  You  are  just  a  few  minutes  late.  Marquis !  "  he  said ; 
'  Had  you  come  a  little  earlier,  you  would  have  met  M. 
Perousse,  who  has  matters  of  import  to  discuss  with 
you."  Here  he  moved  aside  from  those  immediately  in 
hearing.  '  It  is  perhaps  as  well  you  should  know  I  have 
'  vetoed  '  his  war  propositions.  It  will  rest  now  with  you, 
to  call  a  Council  to-morrow,  —  the  next  day,  —  or,  — 
when  you  please !  " 

Completely  taken  aback,  the  Premier  was  silent  for  a 
moment,  biting  his  lips  to  keep  down  the  torrent  of  rage 


The  King's  Veto  211 

and  disappointment  that  threatened  to  break  out  in  vio- 
lent and  unguarded  speech. 

"Sir!- -Your  Majesty!  Pardon  me,  but  surely  yon 
cannot  fail  to  understand'  that  in  a  Constitution  like  ours, 
the  course  decided  upon  by  Ministers  cannot  be  vetoed 
by  the  King?  " 

The  monarch  smiled  gravely. 

"  '  Cannot '  is  a  weak  word,  Marquis !  I  do  not  include 
it  in  my  vocabulary !  I  fully  grant  you  that  a  plan  of 
campaign  decided  upon  by  Ministers  as  you  say,  has  not 
been  '  vetoed  '  by  a  reigning  sovereign  for  at  least  a 
couple  of  centuries,  —  and  the  custom  has  naturally  fallen 
into  desuetude,  —  but  if  it  should  be  found  at  any  time, 
—  (I  do  not  say  it  has  been  found)  that  Ministers  are 
engaged  in  a  seriously  mistaken  policy,  and  are  being 
misled  by  the  doubtful  propositions  of  private  financial 
speculators,  so  much  as  to  consider  their  own  advantage 
more  important  and  valuable  than  the  prosperity  of  a 
country  or  the  good  of  a  people,  --then  a  king  who  does 
not  veto  the  same  is  a  worse  criminal  than  those  he  tacitly 
supports  and  encourages  !  ' 

Lutera  turned  a  deadly  white,  —  his  eyes  fell  before 
the  clear,  straight  gaze  of  his  Sovereign,  —  but  he  said 
not  a  word. 

"  A  king's  '  veto '  has  before  now  brought  about  a 
king's  dethronement,"  went  on  the  monarch  ;  '  Should  it 
do  so  in  my  case,  I  shall  not  greatly  care,  —  but  if  things 
trend  that  way,  I  shall  lay  my  thoughts  openly  before  the 
People  for  their  judgment.  They  seldom  or  never  hear 
the  Sovereign  whom  they  pay  to  keep,  speak  to  them  on 
a  matter  gravely  affecting  their  national  destinies,  —  but 
they  shall  hear  me,  —  if  necessary!  " 

The  Marquis  moistened  his  dry  lips,  and  essayed  to 
pronounce  a  few  words. 

"  Your  Majesty  will  run  considerable  risk " 

"  Of  being  judged  as  something  more  than  a  mere 
dummy,"  said  the  King  —  "  Or  a  fool  set  on  a  throne  to 
be  fooled !  True !  But  the  risk  can  only  involve  life,  — 
and  life  is  immaterial  when  weighed  in  the  balance  against 
Honour.  By  the  way,  Marquis,  permit  me  to  return  to 
you  this  valuable  gem  " ;  —  Here  drawing  off  the  Pre- 
mier's sapphire  signet,  he  handed  it  to  him  —  "  Almost 


212  "Temporal  Power' 

I  envy  it !  It  is  a  fine  stone !  —  and  worthy  of  its  high 
service !  " 

"  Your  Majesty  has  increased  its  value  by  wearing  it," 
said  Lutera,  recovering  a  little  of  his  strayed  equanimity 
in  his  determination  to  probe  to  the  bottom  of  the  mystery 
which  perplexed  his  mind.     "  May  I  ask " 

"  Anything  in  reason,  my  dear  Marquis/'  returned  the 
King  lightly,  and  smiling  as  he  spoke.  "  A  thousand 
questions  if  you  like  !  " 

"  One  will  suffice,"  answered  the  Premier.  "  I  had  an 
unpleasant  dream  last  night  about  this  very  ring " 

"  Ah!  "  ejaculated  the  King;  "  Did  you  dream  that  I 
had  dropped  it  in  the  sea  on  my  way  to  The  Islands 
yesterday  ?  " 

He  spoke  jestingly,  yet  with  a  kindly  air,  and  Lutera 
gained  courage  to  look  boldly  up  and  straight  into  his 
eyes. 

"  I  did  not  dream  that  you  had  lost  it,  Sir,"  he  an- 
swered —  "  but  that  it  had  been  stolen  from  your  hand, 
and  used  by  a  spy  for  unlawful  purposes !  " 

A  strange  expression  crossed  the  King's  face,  —  a  look 
of  inward  illumination  ;  he  smiled,  but  there  was  a  quiver 
of  strong  feeling  under  the  smile.  Advancing  a  step,  he 
laid  his  hand  with  a  light,  half-warning  pressure  on  the 
Premier's  shoulder. 

'  Dreams  always  go  by  contraries,  Marquis !  "  he  said ; 
—  "I  assure  you,  on  my  honour  as  a  king  and  a  gentle- 
man, that  from  the  moment  you  lent  it  to  me,  till  now,  — 
when  I  return  it  to  you,  —  that  ring  has  never  left  my 
linger!  " 


CHAPTER    XV 

"  MORGANATIC  "    OR  —  ? 

THE  Royal  '  at  home  '  was  soon  over.  Many  of  those 
who  had  the  felicity  of  breathing  in  the  King's 
presence  that  afternoon  remarked  upon  his  Majesty's 
evident  good  health  and  high  spirits,  while  others  as 
freely  commented  on  the  unapproachableness  and  irri- 
tability of  the  Marquis  de  Lutera.  Sir  Walter  Langton, 
the  great  English  traveller,  who  was  taking  his  leave  of 
the  Sovereign  that  day,  being  bound  on  an  expedition 
to  the  innermost  recesses  of  Africa,  was  not  altogether 
agreeably  impressed  by  the  Premier,  whom  he  met  on  this 
occasion  for  the  first  and  only  time.  They  had  begun 
their  acquaintance  by  talking  generalities,  —  but  drifted 
by  degrees  into  the  dangerous  circle  of  politics,  and  were 
skirting  round  the  edge  of  various  critical  questions  of 
the  day,  when  the  Marquis  said  abruptly : 

"  An  autocracy  would  not  nourish  in  your  country,  I 
presume,  Sir  Walter?  The  British  people  have  been  too 
long  accustomed  to  sing  that  they  '  never,  never  will  be 
slaves.'  Your  Government  is  really  more  or  less  of  a 
Republic." 

"  All  Governments  are  so  in  these  days,  I  imagine," 
replied  Langton.  "  Autocracy  on  the  part  of  a  monarch 
is  nowhere  endured,  save  in  Russia, — and  what  is  Russia? 
A  huge  volcano,  smouldering  with  fire,  and  ever  threaten- 
ing to  break  out  in  flame  and  engulf  the  Throne !  Mon- 
archs  were  not  always  wisdom  personified  in  olden  times, 
—  and  I  venture  to  consider  them  nowadays  less  wise 
and  more  careless  than  ever.  Only  a  return  to  almost 
barbaric  ignorance  and  superstition  would  tolerate  any 
complete  monarchical  authority  in  these  present  times  of 
progress.  It  is  only  the  long  serfdom  of  Russia  that 
hinders  the  triumph  of  Liberty  there,  as  elsewhere." 


214         "Temporal  Power" 

The  Marquis  listened  eagerly,  and  with  evident  satis- 
faction. 

'  I  agree  with  you !  "  he  said.  "  You  consider,  then, 
that  in  no  country,  under  any  circumstances,  could  the 
people  be  expected  to  obey  their  monarch  blindly?  " 

"  Certainly  not !  Even  Rome,  with  its  visible  spiritual 
Head  and  Sovereign,  has  no  real  power.  It  imagines  it 
has ;  but  let  it  make  any  decided  step  to  ensnare  the  lib- 
erties of  the  people  at  large,  and  the  result  would  be 
somewhat  astonishing !  Personally  —  "  and  he  smiled 
gravely  —  "I  have  often  thought  that  my  own  country 
would  be  very  much  benefited  by  a  couple  of  years  ex- 
istence under  an  autocrat  —  an  autocrat  like  Cromwell, 
for  example.  A  man  strong  and  fierce,  intelligent  and 
Candid,  —  who  would  expose  shams  and  destroy  abuses, 
—  who  would  have  no  mercy  on  either  religious,  social, 
or  political  fraud,  and  who  would  perform  the  part  of  the 
necessary  hard  broom  for  sweeping  the  National  house. 
But,  unfortunately,  we  have  no  such  man.  You  have,  — 
in  your  Sergius  Thord !  " 

The  Premier  heard  this  name  with  unconcealed  amaze- 
ment. 

'''  Sergius  Thord !    Why  he  is  a  mere  fanatic " 

'  Pardon  me !  "  interrupted  Sir  Walter,  —  "  so  was 
Cromwell !  " 

'But,  my  dear  sir!"  remonstrated  the  Marquis  smil- 
ingly, —  "  Is  it  possible  that  you  really  consider  Sergius 
Thord  any  sort  of  an  influence  in  this  country?  If  you 
do,  I  assure  you  you  are  greatly  mistaken !  " 

'I  think  not,"  responded  Sir  Walter  quietly;  "With 
every  respect  for  you,  Marquis,  I  believe  I  am  not  mis- 
taken !  Books  written  by  Sergius  Thord  are  circulating 
in  their  thousands  all  over  the  world  —  his  speeches  are 
reported  not  only  here,  but  in  journals  which  probably 
you  never  hear  of,  in  far-off  countries,  —  in  short,  his 
propaganda  is  simply  enormous.  He  is  a  kind  of  new 
Rousseau,  without,  —  so  far  as  I  can  learn,  —  Rous- 
seau's private  vices.  He  is  a  man  I  much  wished  to  see 
during  my  stay  here,  but  I  have  not  had  the  opportunity 
of  finding  him  out.  He  is  an  undoubted  genius,  — but  I 
need  not  remind  you.  Marquis,  that  a  man  is  never  a 
prophet  in  his  own  country !     The  world's  '  celebrity  '  is 


"  Morganatic  'Or  -  215 

always  eyed  with  more  or  less  suspicion  as  a  strange  sort 
of  rogue  or  vagabond  in  his  own  native  town  or  village !  " 

At  that  moment,  the  King,  having  concluded  a  conver- 
sation with  certain  of  his  guests,  who  were  thereupon 
leaving  the  Throne-room,  approached  them.  He  had  not 
spoken  a  word  to  the  Premier  since  returning  him  his 
signet-ring,  but  now  he  said : 

"  Marquis,  I  was  almost  forgetting  a  special  request  I 
have  to  make  of  you  !  " 

"  A  request  from  you  is  a  command,  Sir !  ''  replied 
Lutera  with  hypocritical  deference  and  something  of  a 
covert  sneer,  which  did  not  escape  the  quick  observation 
of  Sir  Walter  Langton. 

"  In  certain  cases  it  should  be  so,"  returned  the  King 
tranquilly ;  "  And  in  this  you  will  probably  make  it  so ! 
I  have  received  a  volume  of  poems  by  one  Paul  Zouche. 
His  genius  appears  to  me  deserving  of  encouragement. 
A  grant  of  a  hundred  golden  pieces  a  year  will  not  be 
too  much  for  his  hundred  best  poems.  Will  you  see  to 
this?" 

The  Marquis  bowed. 

"  I  have  never  heard  of  the  man  in  question,"  he  re- 
plied hesitatingly. 

"  Probably  not,"  returned  the  King  smiling  ;  ■ —  "  How 
often  do  Premiers  read  poetry,  or  notice  poets  ?  Scarcely 
ever,  if  we  may  credit  history  !    But  in  this  case " 

"  I  will  make  myself  immediately  acquainted  with  Paul 
Zouche,  and  inform  him  of  your  Majesty's  gracious  in- 
tention," the  Marquis  hastened  to  say. 

'  It  is  quite  possible  he  may  refuse  the  grant,"  con- 
tinued the  King ;  "  Sometimes  —  though  seldom  —  poets 
are  prouder  than  Prime  Ministers !  " 

With  a  brief  nod  of  dismissal  he  turned  away,  inviting 
Sir  Walter  Langton  to  accompany  him,  and  there  was 
nothing  more  for  the  Marquis  to  do,  save  to  return  even 
as  he  had  come,  with  two  pieces  of  information  puzzling 
his  brain,  —  one,  that  the  King's  '  veto  '  had  stopped  a 
declaration  of  war,  —  unless,  —  which  was  a  very  remote 
contingency,  —  he  and  his  party  could  persuade  the 
people  to  go  against  the  King,  —  the  other,  that  some 
clever  spy,  with  the  assistance  of  a  fraudulent  imitation 
of   his   signet-ring,   had   become   aware  of  the  financial 


216  "Temporal  Power' 

interests  involved  in  a  private  speculation  depending  on 
the  intended  war,  which  included  himself,  Carl  Perousse, 
and  two  or  three  other  members  of  the  Ministry.  And, 
out  of  these  two  facts  might  possibly  arise  a  whole  train 
of  misfortune,  ruin  and  disgrace  to  those  concerned. 

It  was  considerably  past  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
when  the  King,  retiring  to  his  own  private  cabinet,  desired 
Sir  Roger  de  Launay  to  inform  Prince  Humphry  that  he 
was  now  prepared  to  receive  him.  Sir  Roger  hesitated  a 
moment  before  going  to  fulfil  the  command.  The  King 
looked  at  him  with  an  indulgent  smile. 

'Things  are  moving  too  quickly,  you  think,  Roger?" 
he  queried.  "  Upon  my  soul,  I  am  beginning  to  find  a 
new  zest  in  life !  I  feel  some  twenty  years  younger  since 
I  saw  the  face  of  the  beautiful  Gloria  yesterday!  We 
must  promote  her  sailor  husband,  and  bring  his  pearl  of 
the  sea  to  our  Court !  " 

"  It  was  on  this  very  subject,  Sir,  that  Von  Glauben 
wished  to  see  your  Majesty  the  first  thing  this  morning," 
said  Sir  Roger ;  — "  But  you  refused  him  so  early  an 
audience.  Yet  you  will  remember  that  yesterday  you  told 
him  you  wished  for  an  explanation  of  his  acquaintance 
with  this  girl.  He  was  ready  and  prepared  to  give  it, 
but  was  prevented,  —  not  only  by  your  refusal  to  see 
him,  —  but  also  by  the  Prince." 

Drawing  up  a  chair  to  the  open  window,  the  King 
seated  himself  deliberately,  and  lit  a  cigar. 

'  Presumably  the  Prince  knows  more  than  the  Pro- 
fessor !  "  he  said  calmly ;  "  We  will  hear  both,  and  give 
Royalty  the  precedence !  Tell  Prince  Humphry  I  am 
waiting  for  him." 

Sir  Roger  withdrew,  and  in  another  two  or  three  min- 
utes returned,  throwing  open  the  door  and  ushering  in 
the  Prince,  who  entered  with  a  quick  step,  and  brief, 
somewhat  haughty  salutation.  Puffing  leisurely  at  his 
cigar,  the  King  glanced  his  son  up  and  down  smilingly, 
but  said  not  a  word.  The  Prince  stood  waiting  for  his 
father  to  speak,  till  at  last,  growing  impatient  and  waiv- 
ing ceremony,  he  began. 

'  I  came,  Sir,  to  spare  Von  Glauben  your  reproaches, 
—  which  he  does  not  merit.  You  accused  him  yesterday, 
he   tells   me,   of   betraying   your   trust ;    he   has   neither 


"Morganatic'    Or  —  ?         217 

betrayed  your  trust  nor  mine!     I  alone  am  to  blame  in 
this  matter!  " 

"  In  what  matter  ?  "  enquired  the  King-  quietly. 

Prince  Humphry  coloured  deeply,  and  then  grew  pale. 
There  was  a  ray  of  defiance  in  the  light  of  his  fine  eyes, 
but  the  tumult  within  his  soul  showed  itself  only  in  an 
added  composure  of  his  features. 

"You  wish  me  to  speak  plainly,  I  suppose,"  he  said; 
—  "  though  you  know  already  what  I  mean.     I  repeat,  — 

I,  and  I  alone,  am  to  blame,  —  for for  anything  that 

seemed  strange  to  you  yesterday,   when  you   met   Von 
Glauben  at  The  Islands." 

The  King's  serious  face  lightened  with  a  gleam  of 
laughter. 

"  Nothing  seemed  very  strange  to  me,  Humphry,"  he 
said,  "  except  the  one  fact  that  I  found  Von  Glauben,  — 
whom  I  supposed  to  be  studying  scientific  problems,  — 
engaged  in  studying  a  woman  instead !  A  very  beautiful 
woman,  too,  who  ought  to  be  something  better  than  a 
sailor's  wife.  And  I  do  not  understand,  as  yet,  what  he 
has  to  do  with  her,  unless  —  "  Here  he  paused  and  went 
on  more  slowly  —  "  Unless  he  is,  as  I  suspect,  acting  for 
you  in  some  way,  and  trying  to  tempt  the  fair  creature 
with  the  prospect  of  a  prince's  admiration  while  the 
sailor  husband  is  out  of  the  way !  Remember,  I  know 
nothing  —  I  merely  hazard  a  guess.  You  are  an  habitue 
of  The  Islands;  —  though  I  learned,  on  enquiry  of  the 
interesting  old  gentleman  who  was  good  enough  to  be  my 
host,  Rene  Ronsard,  that  nobody  had  ever  seen  you  there. 
They  had  only  seen  your  yacht  constantly  cruising  about 
the  bay.  This  struck  me  as  curious,  I  must  confess. 
Some  of  your  men  were  well  known,  —  particularly  one, 
—  the  husband  of  the  pretty  girl  I  saw.  Her  name,  it 
seems,  is  Gloria.  —  and  I  must  admit  that  it  entirely  suits 
her.  I  can  hardly  imagine  that  if  you  have  visited  The 
Islands  as  often  as  you  seem  to  have  done,  you  can  have 
escaped  seeing  her.  She  is  too  beautiful  to  remain  un- 
known to  you  —  particularly  if  her  husband  is,  as  they 
tell  me,  in  your  service.  I  asked  her  to  give  me  his  name, 
but  she  refused  it  point-blank.  I  do  not  wish  to  accuse 
you  of  an  amour,  which  you  are  perhaps  quite  innocent 
of  —  but  certain  things  taken  in  their  conjunction  look 


218  "Temporal   Power' 

suspicious,  —  and  I  would  remind  you  that  honour  in 
princes,  —  as  in  all  men,  —  should  come  before  self- 
indulgence." 

"  I  entirely  agree  with  you,  Sir !  "  said  the  Prince, 
composedly ;  "  And  in  the  present  case  honour  has  been 
my  first  thought,  as  it  will  be  my  last.  Gloria  is  my 
wife!" 

*'  Your  wife !  "  The  King  rose,  his  tall  figure  looking 
taller,  his  eyes  sparkling  with  anger  from  under  their 
deep-set  brows.    "  Your  wife !    Are  you  mad,  Humphry  ! 

You  ! the  Heir- Apparent  to  the  Throne !     You  have 

married  her!  " 

"  I  have!  "  replied  the  Prince,  and  the  words  now  came 
coursing  rapidly  from  his  lips  in  his  excitement  —  "I 
love  her !  I  love  her  with  all  my  heart  and  soul !  —  and 
I  have  given  her  the  only  shield  and  safeguard  love  in  this 
world  can  give !  I  have  married  her  in  my  own  name  — 
the  name  of  our  family,  —  which  neither  she  nor  any  of 
the  humble  folk  out  yonder  haVe  ever  heard  —  but  she 
is  wedded  to  me  as  fast  as  Church  and  Law  can  make  it, 

—  and  there  is  only  one  wrong  connected  with  my  vows 
to  her  —  she  does  not  know  who  I  am.  I  have  deceived 
her  there,  —  but  in  nothing  else.  Had  I  told  her  of  my 
rank,  she  would  never  have  married  me.  But  now  she 
is  mine,  —  and  for  her  sake  I  am  willing  to  resign  all 
pretension  to  the  Throne  in  favour  of  my  brother  Rupert. 
Let  it  be  so,  I  implore  you !  Let  me  live  my  own  life  of 
love  and  liberty  in  my  own  way !  " 

Rigid  as  a  statue  the  King  stood,  —  his  lips  were  set 
hard  and  his  eyes  lowered.  Long  buried  thoughts  rose 
up  from  the  innermost  recesses  of  his  being,  and  rushed 
upon  his  brain  in  a  deluge  of  remembrance  and  regret. 
What !  —  after  all  these  years,  had  the  ghost  of  his  first 
love,  the  little  self-slain  maiden  of  his  boyhood's  dream, 
risen  to  avenge  herself  in  the  life  of  his  son  ?  The  strange- 
ness of  the  comparison  between  himself  as  he  was  now, 
and  the  eager  passionate  youth  he  was  then,  smote  him 
with  a  sense  of  sharp  pain.  Away  in  those  far-off  days 
he  had  believed  in  love  as  the  chief  glory  of  existence ;  he 
had  considered  it  as  the  poets  would  have  us  consider  it, 

—  a  saving,  binding,  holding  and  immortal  influence, 
which  leads  to  all  pure  and  holy  things,  even  unto  God 


"Morganatic"  Or — ?         219 

Himself,  the  Highest  and  Holiest  of  all.  When  he  lost 
that  belief,  how  great  was  his  loss!  —  when  he  ceased  to 
experience  that  pure  idealistic  emotion,  how  bitter  became 
the  monotony  of  living!  Rapidly  the  stream  of  memory 
swept  over  his  innermost  soul  and  shook  his  nerves,  and 
it  was  only  through  a  strong  effort  of  self-repression  that 
at  last,  lifting  up  his  eyes  he  fixed  them  on  the  flushed 
face  of  his  son,  and  said  in  measured  tones. 

'  This  is  a  very  unexpected  and  very  unhappy  con- 
fession of  yours,  Humphry!  You  have  acted  most  un- 
wisely !  —  you  have  been  disloyal  to  me,  who  am  not  only 
your  father,  but  your  King!  You  have  proved  yourself 
unworthy  of  the  nation's  trust,  —  and  you  have  deceived, 
more  cruelly  than  you  think,  an  innocent  and  too-con- 
fiding girl.  I  shall  not  dispute  the  legality  of  your  mar- 
riage ;  —  that  would  not  be  worth  my  while.  You  have 
no  doubt  taken  every  step  to  make  it  as  binding  as  pos- 
sible ;  —  however,  that  is  but  a  trifling  matter  in  your 
case.  You  know  that  such  a  marriage  is,  and  can  only 
be  morganatic ;  —  and  as  the  immediate  consequence  of 
your  amazing  folly,  a  suitable  Royal  alliance  must  be 
arranged  for  you  at  once.  The  nuptials  can  be  celebrated 
with  the  attainment  of  your  majority  next  year." 

He  spoke  coldly  and  calmly,  but  his  heart  was  beating 
with  mingled  wrath  and  pain,  and  even  while  he  thus 
pronounced  her  doom,  the  exquisite  face  of  Gloria  floated 
before  him  like  the  vision  of  a  perfect  innocence  ruined 
and  betrayed.  He  realised  that  he  possibly  had  an  un- 
usual character  to  reckon  with  in  her,  —  and  he  had  lately 
become  fully  aware  that  there  was  as  much  determination 
and  latent  force  in  the  disposition  of  his  son,  as  in  the 
mother  who  had  given  him  birth.  Pale  and  composed, 
the  young  Prince  heard  him  in  absolute  silence,  and  when 
he  had  finished,  still  waited  a  moment,  lest  any  further 
word  should  fall  from  the  lips  of  his  parent  and  Sov- 
ereign. Then  he  spoke  in  quite  as  measured,  cold  and 
tranquil  a  manner  as  the  King  had  done. 

'  I  need  not  remind  you,  Sir,  that  the  days  of  tyranny 
are  over.  You  cannot  force  me  into  bigamy  against  my 
will !  " 

His  father  uttered  a  quick  oath. 

"  Bigamy !     Who  talks  of  bigamy  ?  " 


2  20  "Temporal  Power 


» y 


'  You  do,  Sir !  I  have  married  a  beautiful  and  innocent 
woman,  —  she  is  my  lawful  wife  in  the  sight  of  God  and 
man ;  yet  you  coolly  propose  to  give  me  a  second  wife 
under  the  '  morganatic  '  law,  which,  as  I  view  it,  is  merely 
a  Royal  excuse  for  bigamy !  Now  I  have  no  wish  to 
excuse  myself  for  marrying  Gloria,  —  I  consider  she  has 
honoured  me  far  more  than  I  have  honoured  her.  She 
has  given  me  all  her  youth,  her  life,  her  love,  her  beauty 
and  her  trust,  and  whatever  I  am  worth  in  this  world 
shall  be  hers  and  hers  only.  I  am  quite  prepared  "  — 
and  he  smiled  somewhat  sarcastically,  —  "to  make  it  a 
test  case,  and  appeal  to  the  law  of  the  realm.  If  that  law 
tolerates  a  crime  in  princes,  which  it  would  punish  in 
commoners,  then  I  shall  ask  the  People  to  judge  me!  " 

'  Indeed!  ''  And  the  King  surveyed  him  with  a  touch 
of  ironical  amusement  and  vague  admiration  for  his 
audacity.  "  And  suppose  the  people  fail  to  appreciate 
the  romance  of  the  situation  ?  " 

'  Then  I  shall  resign  my  nationality ;  "  said  the  young 
man  coolly ;  '  Because  a  country  that  legalises  a  wrong 
done  to  the  innocent,  is  not  worth  belonging  to !  Con- 
cerning the  Throne,  —  as  I  told  you  before  —  I  am  ready 
to  abandon  it  at  once.  I  would  rather  lose  all  the  king- 
doms of  the  world  than  lose  Gloria !  " 

There  was  a  pause,  during  which  the  King  took  two  or 
three  slow  paces  up  and  down  the  room.  At  last  he 
turned  and  faced  his  son  ;  his  eyes  were  softer  —  his  look 
more  kindly. 

'  You  are  very  much  in  love  just  now,  Humphry!  "  he 
said ;  "  And  I  do  not  wish  to  be  too  hard  on  you  in  this 
matter,  for  there  can  be  no  question  as  to  the  extraordi- 
nary beauty  of  the  girl  you  call  your  wife " 

"  The  girl  who  is  my  wife,"  interrupted  the  Prince 
decisively. 

'  Very  well ;  so  let  it  be !  "  said  his  father  calmly ; 
"The  girl  who  is  your  wife  —  for  the  present!  I  will 
give  you  time  —  plenty  of  time  —  to  consider  the  position 
reasonably!  " 

'  I  have  already  considered  it,"  he  declared. 

"  No  doubt !  You  think  you  have  considered  it.  But 
if  you  do  not  want  to  meditate  any  further  upon  your 
marriage  problem,  you  must  allow  me  the  leisure  to  do 


" Morganatic '    Or-  221 

so,  as  one  who  has  seen  more  of  life  than  you,  —  as 
one  who  takes  things  philosophically — ami  also — as  one 
who  was  young  —  once  ;  —  who  loved  —  once  ;  —  and 
who  had  his  own  private  dreams  of  happiness  —  once!  " 
He  rested  a  hand  on  his  son's  shoulder,  and  looked 
him  full  and  fairly  in  the  eyes.  "  Let  me  advise  you, 
Humphry,  to  go  abroad !  Travel  round  the  world  for  a 
year! 

The  Prince  was  silent,  —  but  his  eyes  did  not  flinch 
from  his  father's  steady  gaze.  He  seemed  to  be  thinking 
rapidly  ;  but  his  thoughts  were  not  betrayed  by  any  move- 
ment or  expression  that  could  denote  anxiety.  He  was 
alert,  calm,  and  perfectly  self-possessed. 

'  I  have  no  objection,"  he  said  at  last ;  "  A  year  is  soon 
past !  " 

"  It  is,"  agreed  the  King,  with  a  sense  of  relief  at  his 

ready  assent ;   "  But  by  the  end  of  that  time 

'  Things  will  be  precisely  as  they  are  now,"  said  the 
Prince  tranquilly ;  "  Gloria  will  still  be  my  wife,  and  I 
shall  still  be  her  husband !  " 

The  King  gave  a  gesture  of  annoyance. 
'  Whatever  the  result,"  he  said,  "  she  cannot,  and  will 
not  be  Crown  Princess  !  " 

"  She  will  not  envy  that  destiny  in  my  brother  Rupert's 
wife,"  said  Prince  Humphry  quietly;  '  Nor  shall  I  envy 
my  brother  Rupert!  " 

'  You  talk  like  a  fool,  Humphry !  "  said  the  King  im- 
patiently ;  "  You  cannot  resign  your  Heir- Apparency  to 
the  Throne,  without  giving  a  reason ;  —  and  so  making 
known  your  marriage." 

'  That  is  precisely  what  I  wish  to  do,"  returned  the 
young  man.  '  I  have  no  intention  of  keeping  my  mar- 
riage secret.  I  am  proud  of  it !  Gloria  is  mine  —  the 
joy  of  my  soul  —  the  very  pulse  of  my  life !  Why  should 
I  hide  my  heart's  light  under  a  cloud?  " 

His  voice  vibrated  with  tender  feeling,  —  his  handsome 
features  were  softened  into  finer  beauty  by  the  passion 
which  invigorated  him,  and  his  father  looking  at  him, 
thought  for  a  moment  that  so  might  the  young  gods  of 
the  fabled  Parnassus  have  appeared  in  the  height  of  their 
symbolic  power  and  charm.  His  own  eyes  grew  melan- 
choly, as  he  studied  this  vigorous  incarnation  of  ardent 


222         "Temporal  Power 


■>•> 


love  and  passionate  resolve;    and  a  slight  sigh  escaped 
him  unconsciously. 

'  You  forget !  "  he  said  slowly,  "  you  have,  up  to  the 
present  deceived  the  girl.  She  does  not  know  who  you 
are.  When  she  hears  that  you  have  played  a  part,  - —  that 
you  are  no  sailor  in  the  service  of  the  Crown  Prince,  as 
you  have  apparently  represented  yourself  to  be,  but  the 
Crown  Prince  himself,  what  will  she  say  to  you?  Per- 
haps she  will  hate  you  for  the  deception,  as  much  as  she 
now  loves  you  !  " 

A  shadow  darkened  the  young  Prince's  open  counte- 
nance, but  it  soon  passed  away. 

"She  will  never  hate  me!"  he  said,- — "For  when  I 
do  tell  her  the  truth,  it  will  be  when  I  have  resigned  all 
the  ridiculous  pomp  and  circumstance  of  my  position  for 
her  sake " 

'  Perhaps  she  will  not  let  you  resign  it !  '"  said  the 
King;   "  She  may  be  as  unselfish  as  she  is  beautiful !  " 

There  was  a  slight,  very  slight  note  of  derision  in  his 
voice,  and  the  Prince  caught  it  up  at  once. 

'  You  wrong  yourself,  Sir,  more  than  you  wrong  my 
wife  by  any  lurking  misjudgment  of  her,"  he  said,  with 
singularly  masterful  and  expressive  dignity.  "  As  her 
husband,  and  the  guardian  of  her  honour,  I  also  claim  her 
obedience.    What  I  desire  is  her  law !  " 

The  King  laughed  a  little  forcedly. 

'  Evidently  you  have  found  the  miracle  of  the  ages, 
Humphry  !  "  he  said  ;  "  A  woman  who  obeys  her  master ! 
Well !  Let  us  talk  no  more  of  it.  You  have  been  guilty 
of  an  egregious  folly,  —  but  nothing  can  make  your  mar- 
riage otherwise  than  morganatic.  And  when  the  State- 
considers  a  Royal  alliance  for  you  advisable,  you  will  be 
compelled  to  obey  the  country's  wish,  —  or  else  resign 
the  Throne." 

'  I  shall  obey  the  country's  wish  most  decidedly,"  said 
the  Prince,  "  unless  it  asks  me  to  commit  bigamy,  —  as 
you  suggest,  —  in  which  case  I  shall  decline !  Three  or 
four  Royal  sinners  of  this  class  I  know  of,  who  for  all 
their  pains  have  not  succeeded  in  winning  the  attachment 
of  their  people,  either  for  themselves  or  their  heirs. 
Their  people  know  what  they  are,  well  enough,  and 
despise  their  fraudulent  position  as  heartily  as  I  do!     I 


"Morganatic'    Or  —  ?         223 

am  perfectly  convinced  that  if  it  were  put  to  the  vote  of 
the  country,  no  people  in  the  world  would  wish  their 
future  monarch  to  be  a  bigamist !  " 

'  How  you  stick  to  a  word  and  a  phrase !  "  exclaimed 
the  King  irritably ;  '  The  morganatic  rule  does  away 
with  the  very  idea  of  bigamy !  " 

'How  do  you  prove  it.  Sir?'  queried  the  Prince. 
'  Bigamy  is  the  act  of  contracting  a  second  marriage 
while  the  first  partner  is  alive.  It  is  punished  severely  in 
commoners;  —  why  should  Royalty  escape?" 

The  King  began  to  laugh.  This  boy  was  developing 
'  discursive  philosophies  '  such  as  his  own  old  tutor  had 
abhorred. 

'Upon  my  life,  I  do  not  know,  Humphry!"  he  de- 
clared ;  ' '  You  must  ask  the  departed  shades  of  those  who 
made  themselves  responsible  for  kingship  in  the  first 
place.  Personally,  I  do  not  come  under  the  law.  I  have 
only  married  once  myself !  " 

His  son  looked  full  at  him ;  —  and  the  intensity  of  that 
look  affected  and  unsteadied  his  usual  calm  nerves.  But 
he  was  not  one  to  shirk  an  unpleasant  suggestion. 

'  You  would  say,  Humphry,  if  your  filial  respect  per- 
mitted you,  that  my  one  marriage  has  been  amplified  in 
various  other  ways.  Perfectly  true !  When  women  lie 
down  and  ask  you  to  walk  over  them,  you  do  it  if  you 
are  a  man  and  a  king!  When,  on  the  contrary,  women 
show  you  that  they  do  not  care  whether  you  are  royal  or 
the  reverse,  and  despise  you  more  than  admire  you,  you 
run  after  them  for  all  you  are  worth !  At  least  I  do !  I 
always  have  done  so.  And,  to  a  certain  extent,  it  has 
been  amusing.  But  the  limit  is  reached.  I  am  growing 
old !  "  Here  he  took  up  the  cigar  he  had  thrown  aside 
when  his  son  had  first  startled  him  by  the  announcement 
of  his  marriage,  and  relighting  it,  began  to  smoke  peace- 
ably. '  I  am,  as  I  say,  growing  old.  I  have  never  found 
what  is  called  love.  You  have  —  or  think  you  have ! 
Enjoy  your  dream,  Humphry  —  but  —  take  my  advice 
and  go  abroad !  See  whether  travel  does  not  work  a 
change  in  you  or,  —  in  her !  ,:  He  paused  a  moment,  and 
while  the  Prince  still  regarded  him  fixedly,  added ;  "  Will 
you  tell  the  Queen  ?  " 

'  I    will    leave   you    to   tell    her,    Sir,    with    your   per- 


224  "Temporal  Power' 

mission ;  "    replied    the    Prince ;      '  I    cannot    expect   her 
sympathy." 

"  Von  Glauben,  then,  is  the  only  person  you  have 
trusted  with  your  confidence  ?  " 

'  Von  Glauben  was  no  party  to  my  marriage,  Sir.  I 
was  married  fully  three  months  before  I  told  him.  He 
was  greatly  vexed  and  troubled,  —  but  when  he  saw 
Gloria,  he  was  glad." 

"  Glad!  "  echoed  the  King;  "  For  what  reason,  pray?  " 

'  I  am  afraid,  Sir,"  said  the  young  man  with  a  smile, 
"  his  gladness  was  but  a  part  of  his  science !  He  said  it 
was  better  for  a  prince  to  wed  a  healthy  and  beautiful 
commoner,  than  the  daughter  of  a  hundred  scrofulous 
kings !  " 

With  a  movement  of  intense  indignation,  the  monarch 
sprang  up  from  the  chair  in  which  he  had  just  seated 
himself. 

'  Now,  by  Heaven  !  '"  he  exclaimed  ;  '  Von  Glauben 
goes  too  far !    He  shall  suffer  for  this  !  " 

'  Why?  "  queried  the  Prince  calmly;  "  You  know  that 
what  he  says  is  perfectly  true.  True?  Why,  there  is 
scarcely  a  Royal  house  in  the  world  save  our  own,  without 
its  hereditary  curse  of  disease  or  insanity.  We  pay  more 
attention  to  the  breeding  of  horses  than  the  breeding  of 
kings !  " 

The  plain  candour  and  veracity  of  the  statement,  left 
no  room  for  denial. 

'  You  have  seen  Gloria,"  went  on  the  Prince ;  '  You 
know  she  is  the  most  beautiful  creature  your  eyes  ever 
rested  upon !  Von  Glauben  told  me  you  were  stricken 
dumb,  and  almost  stupefied  at  sight  of  her " 

"  Damn  Von  Glauben !  "  said  the  King. 

His  son  smiled  ever  so  slightly,  but  continued. 

'  You  have  made  yourself  acquainted  with  her  his- 
tory   " 

'Yes!"  said  the  King;  'That  she  is  a  foundling 
picked  up  from  the  sea  —  a  castaway  from  a  wreck !  — 
no  one  knows  who  her  father  and  mother  were,  and  yet 
you,  in  your  raving  madness  and  folly  of  love,  would 
make  her  Crown  Princess  and  future  Queen !  " 
The  Prince  went  on  unheedingly. 
"  She   is   beautiful  —  and   the    simple   method   of   her 


"Morganatic'    Or  —  ?         225 

bringing  up  has  left  her  unspoilt  and  innocent.     She  is 

ignorant  of  the  world's  ways because "  and  his 

voice  sank  to  a  reverential  tenderness  — "  God's  ways 
are  more  familiar  to  her !  "  He  paused,  but  his  father 
was  silent ;  he  therefore  went  on.  ;'  She  is  healthy, 
strong,  simple  and  true,  —  more  fit  for  a  throne,  if  such 
were  her  destiny,  than  any  daughter  of  any  Royal  house 
I  know  of.  Happy  the  nation  that  could  call  such  a 
woman  their  Queen  !  " 

"  As  I  have  already  told  you,  Humphry,"  returned  the 
King,  "  you  are  in  love !  —  with  the  love  of  a  headstrong, 
passionate  boy  for  a  beautiful  and  credulous  girl.  I  do 
not  propose  to  discuss  the  subject  further.  You  are  will- 
ing to  go  abroad,  you  tell  me,  —  then  make  your  prepara- 
tions at  once.  I  will  select  one  or  two  necessary  com- 
panions for  you,  and  you  can  start  when  you  please.  I 
would  let  Von  Glauben  accompany  you,  but  —  for  the 
present  —  I  cannot  well  spare  him.  Your  intended 
voyage  must  be  made  public,  and  in  this  way  nothing 
will  be  known  of  the  manner  in  which  you  have  privately 
chosen  to  make  a  fool  of  yourself.  I  will  explain  the  sit- 
uation to  the  Queen ;  —  but  beyond  that  I  shall  say 
nothing.  Let  me  know  by  to-morrow  how  soon  you  can 
arrange  your  departure." 

The  Prince  bowed  composedly,  and  was  about  to  retire, 
when  the  King  called  him  back. 

'  You  do  not  ask  my  pardon,  Humphry,  for  the  offence 
you  have  committed  ?  " 

The  young  man  Hushed,  and  bit  his  lip. 

"  Sir,  I  cannot  ask  pardon  for  what  I  do  not  consider 
is  wrong!  I  have  married  the  woman  I  love;  and  I  in- 
tend to  be  faithful  to  her.  You  married  a  woman  you  did 
not  love  —  and  the  result,  according  to  my  views,  and 
also  according  to  my  experience  of  my  mother  and  your- 
self, is  more  or  less  regrettable.  If  I  have  offended  you, 
I  sincerely  beg  your  forgiveness,  but  you  must  first  point 
out  the  nature  of  the  offence.  Surely,  it  must  be  more 
gratifying  to  you  to  know  that  I  prefer  to  be  a  man  of 
honour  than  a  common  seducer  ?  " 

The  King  looked  at  him,  and  his  own  eyes  fell  under 
his  son's  clear  candid  gaze. 

'  Enough  !     You  may  go !  "  he  said  briefly. 

'5 


226         "Temporal  Power" 

The  door  opened  and  closed  again  ;  —  he  was  gone. 

The  King,  left  alone,  fixed  his  eyes  on  the  sparkling 
line  of  the  sea,  brightly  bine,  and  the  flower-bordered 
terrace  in  front  of  him.     Life  was  becoming  interesting; 

—  the  long  burdensome  monotony  of  years  had  changed 
into  a  variety  of  contrasting  scenes  and  colours,  —  and  in 
taking  up  the  problem  of  human  life  as  lived  by  others, 
more  than  as  lived  by  himself,  he  had  entered  on  a  new 
path,  untrodden  by  conventionalities,  and  leading,  he 
knew  not  whither.  But,  having  begun  to  walk  in  it,  he 
was  determined  to  go  on  —  and  to  use  each  new  experi- 
ence as  a  guide  for  the  rest  of  his  actions.  His  son's 
marriage  with  a  commoner  —  one  who  indeed  was  not 
only  a  commoner  but  a  foundling  —  might  after  all  lead 
to  good,  if  properly  taken  in  hand,  —  and  he  resolved 
not  to  make  the  worst  of  it,  but  rather  to  let  things  take 
their  own  natural  course. 

"  For  love,"  he  said  to  himself  somewhat  bitterly,  "  in 
nine  cases  out  of  ten  ends  in  satiety,  —  marriage,  in  sep- 
aration by  mutual  consent !  Let  the  boy  travel  for  a  year, 
and  forget,  if  he  can,  the  fair  face  which  captivates  him, 

—  for   it   is  a    fair    face, and   more   than    that,  —  I 

honestly  believe  it  is  the  reflex  of  a  fair  soul!  " 

His  eyes  grew  dreamy  and  absorbed ;  away  on  the 
horizon  a  little  white  cloud,  shaped  like  the  outspread 
wings  of  a  dove,  hovered  over  the  sea  just  where  The 
Islands  lay. 

'  Yes !  Let  him  see  new  scenes  —  strange  lands,  and 
varying  customs  ;  let  him  hear  modern  opinions  of  life, 
instead  of  reading  the  philosophies  of  Aurelius  and  Epic- 
tetus,  and  the  poetry  written  ages  ago  by  the  dead  wild 
souls  of  the  past ;  —  and  so  he  will  forget  —  and  all  will 
be  well !  While  for  Gloria  herself,  —  and  the  old  revo- 
lutionist Ronsard  -  -  we  shall  doubtless  find  ways  and 
means  of  consolation  for  them  both !  " 

Thus  he  mused,  —  yet  in  the  very  midst  of  his  thoughts 
the  echoing  memory  of  a  golden  voice,  round  and  rich 
with  delight  and  triumph  rang  in  his  ears : 

"  My  King  crown'd  me ! 
And  I  and  he 
Are  one  till  the  world  shall  cease  to  be  !  " 


CHAPTER    XVI 

THE    PROFESSOR  .ADVISES 

I  HAVE  discovered  the  secret  of  successful  living, 
Professor,"  said  the  King,  a  couple  of  hours  later 
as,  walking  in  one  of  the  many  thickly  wooded  alleys  of 
the  palace  grounds,  he  greeted  Von  Glauben,  who  had 
been  told  to  meet  him  there,  and  who  had  been  waiting 
the  Royal  approach  with  some  little  trepidation,  -  '  It  is 
this,  —  to  draw  a  straight  line  of  conduct,  and  walk  in  it, 
regardless  of  other  people's  crooked  curves !  '' 

The  Professor  looked  at  him,  and  saw  nothing  but 
kindliness  expressed  in  his  eyes  and  smile,  —  therefore, 
taking  courage  he  replied  without  embarrassment,  — 

"  Truly,  Sir,  if  a  man  is  brave  enough  to  do  this,  he 
may  conquer  everything  but  death,  and  even  face  this 
last  enemy  without  much  alarm." 

"  I  agree  with  you !  "  replied  the  monarch ;  ''  And 
Humphry's  line  has  certainly  been  straight  enough,  taken 
from  the  point  of  his  own  perspective !  Do  you  not 
think  so?  " 

Von  Glauben  hesitated  a  moment  —  then  spoke  out 
boldly. 

"  Sir,  as  you  now  know  all,  I  will  frankly  assure  you 
that  I  think  his  Royal  Highness  has  behaved  honourably, 
and  as  a  true  man !  Society  pardons  a  prince  for  seduc- 
ing innocence  —  but  whether  it  will  pardon  him  for 
marrying  it,  is  quite  another  question !  And  that  is  why 
I  repeat,  he  has  behaved  well.  Though  when  he  first  told 
me  he  was  married,  I  suffered  a  not-to-be-explained 
misery  and  horror;  '  For,'  said  he  —  'I  have  married  an 
angel !  '  Which  naturally  I  thought  ( deducting  a  certain 
quantity  of  the  enthusiasm  of  youth  for  the  statement) 
meant  that  he  had  married  a  bouncing  housemaid  with 
large  hands  and  feet.    '  That  is  well,'  I  told  him  — '  For 


•>1 


228         "Temporal  Power 

divorce  is  now  made  easy  in  this  country,  and  you  can 
easily  return  the  celestial  creature  to  her  native  element ! ' 
At  which  I  resigned  myself  to  hear  some  oaths,  for  vio- 
lent expletives  are  always  refreshing  to  the  masculine 
brain-matter.  But  his  Royal  Highness  maintained  the 
good  breeding  which  always  distinguishes  him,  and 
merely  proceeded  with  his  strange  confession  of  romance, 
—  which,  as  you,  Sir,  are  now  happily  aware  of  it,  I  need 
not  recapitulate.  Your  knowledge  of  the  matter  has  lifted 
an  enormous  burden  from  my  mind  ;   Ach  !    Enormous  !  " 

He  gave  a  deep  breath,  and  drew  himself  up  to  his  full 
height  —  squared  his  shoulders,  and  then,  as  it  were 
stood  firm,  as  though  waiting  attack. 

The  King  laughed  good-naturedly,  and  took  him  by 
the  arm. 

'  Tell  me  all  you  know,  Von  Glauben !  "  he  said ;  "I 
am  acquainted  with  the  gist  and  upshot  of  the  matter,  — 
namely,  Humphry's  marriage ;  but  I  am  wholly  ignorant 
of  the  details." 

"  There  is  little  to  tell,  Sir,"  said  Von  Glauben ;  —  "  Of 
the  Prince's  constant  journeyings  to  The  Islands  we  were 
all  aware  long  ago ;  but  the  cause  of  those  little  voyages 
was  not  so  apparent.  To  avoid  the  suspicion  with  which 
a  Royal  visitor  would  be  viewed,  the  Prince,  it  appears, 
assumed  to  be  merely  one  of  the  junior  officers  on  his 
own  yacht,  —  and  under  this  disguise  became  known  and 
much  liked  by  the  Islanders  generally.  He  fell  in  love 
at  first  sight  with  the  beautiful  girl  your  Majesty  saw 
yesterday  —  Gloria  ;  '  Glory-of-the-Sea  '  —  as  I  some- 
times call  her,  and  they  were  married  by  the  old  parish 
priest  in  the  little  church  among  the  rocks  —  the  very 
church  where,  as  her  adopted  father,  Ronsard,  tells  me, 
he  heard  the  choristers  singing  a  '  Gloria  in  Excelsis  '  on 
the  day  he  found  her  cast  up  on  the  shore." 

'  Well !  "  said  the  King,  seeing  that  he  paused ;  "  And 
is  the  marriage  legal,  think  you  ?  " 

'  Perfectly  so,  Sir !  "  replied  Von  Glauben  ;  '  Regis- 
tered by  law,  as  well  as  sanctified  by  church.  The  Prince 
tells  me  he  married  her  in  his  own  name,  —  but  no  one,  — 
not  even  the  poor  little  priest  who  married  them,  —  knew 
the  surname  of  your  Majesty's  distinguished  house,  and 
I  believe,  —  nay  I  am  sure  —  "  here  he  heaved  an  uncon- 


The  Professor  Advises        229 

scions  sigh,  "  it  will  bring  a  tragedy  to  the  girl  when  she 
knows  the  true  rank  and  title  of  her  husband!  " 

"  How  came  you  to  make  her  acquaintance?  Tell  me 
everything !-- you  know  I  will  not  misjudge  yon!  " 

"  Indeed,  Sir,  I  hope  you  will  not!  "  returned  the  Pro- 
fessor earnestly  ;  —  "  For  there  was  never  a  man  more 
hopelessly  involved  than  myself  in  the  net  prepared  for 
me  by  this  romantic  lover,  who  has  the  honour  to  be  your 
son.  In  the  first  place,  directly  I  heard  this  confession 
of  marriage,  I  was  for  telling  you  at  once ;  but  as  he  had 
bound  me  by  my  word  of  honour  before  he  began  the 
story,  to  keep  his  confidence  sacred,  I  was  unable  to  dis- 
burden myself  of  it.  He  said  he  wanted  to  secure  me  as 
a  friend  for  his  wife.  '  That,'  said  T  firmly,  '  I  will  never 
be !  For  there  will  be  difficulty  when  all  is  known  ;  and 
if  it  comes  to  a  struggle  between  a  pretty  fishwife  and 
the  good  of  a  king  —  ach  !  —  mein  Gott !  —  I  am  not  for 
the  fishwife !  '  " 

The  King  smiled ;   and  Von  Glauben  went  on. 

"  Well,  he  assured  me  she  was  not  a  fishwife.  I  said 
'  What  is  she  then?  '  '  I  tell  you,'  he  replied,  '  she  is  an 
angel !  You  will  come  and  see  her ;  you  will  pass  as  an 
old  friend  of  her  sailor  husband  ;  and  when  you  have 
seen  her  you  will  understand !  '  I  was  angry,  and  said 
I  would  not  go  with  him ;  but  afterwards  I  thought  per- 
haps it  would  be  best  if  I  did,  as  I  might  be  able  to  advise 
him  to  some  wise  course.  So  I  accompanied  him  one 
afternoon  in  the  past  autumn  to  The  Islands  (he  was 
married  last  summer)  and  saw  the  girl,  —  the  '  Glory-of- 
the-Sea.'  And  I  must  confess  to  your  Majesty,  my  heart 
went  down  before  her  beauty  and  innocence  in  absolute 
worship !  And  if  you  were  to  kill  me  for  it,  I  cannot  help 
it  —  I  am  now  as  devoted  to  her  service  as  I  am  to 
yours !  " 

"  Good  !  "  said  the  King  gently  ;  —  "  Then  you  must 
help  me  to  console  her  in  Humphry's  absence !  '; 

Professor  Von  Glauben's  eyes  opened  widely,  with  a 
vagne  look  of  alarm. 

"  In  his  absence,  Sir?  " 

"  Yes !  I  am  sending  him  abroad.  He  is  qflite  willing 
to  go,  he  tells  me.  His  departure  will  make  all  things 
perfectly  easy  for  us.    The  girl  must  remain  in  her  pres- 


230         "Temporal  Power' 

ent  ignorance  as  to  the  position  of  the  man  she  has  really 
married.  The  sailor  she  supposes  him  to  he  will  accom- 
pany the  Prince  on  his  yacht,  —  and  it  must  he  arranged 
that  he  never  returns !  She  is  young,  and  will  easily  be 
consoled !  " 

Von  Glauben  was  silent. 

'  You  will  not  betray  the  Prince's  identity  with  her 
lover,"  went  on  the  King,  "  and  no  one  else  knows  it.  In 
fact,  you  will  be  the  very  person  best  qualified  to  tell  her 
of  his  departure,  and  ■ —  in  due  time,  of  his  fictitious 
death !  " 

They  were  walking  slowly  under  the  heavy  shadow  of 
crossed  ilex  boughs,  —  and  Von  Glauben  came  to  a  dead 
halt. 

"  Sir,"  he  said,  in  rather  unsteady  accents ;  "  With 
every  respect  for  your  Majesty,  I  must  altogether  decline 
the  task  of  breaking  a  pure  heart,  and  ruining  a  young 
life!  Moreover,  if  your  Majesty,  after  all  your  recent 
experiences,"  —  and  he  laid  great  emphasis  on  these  last 
words,  "  thinks  there  is  any  ultimate  good  to  be  obtained 
by  keeping  up  a  lie,  and  practising  a  fraud,  the  lessons 
we  have  learned  in  these  latter  days  are  wholly  unavail- 
ing! You  began  this  conversation  with  me  by  speaking 
of  a  straight  line  of  conduct,  which  should  avoid  other 
people's  crooked  curves.  Is  this  your  Majesty's  idea  of 
a  straight  line  ?  " 

He  spoke  with  unguarded  vehemence,  but  the  King 
was  not  offended.  On  the  contrary,  he  looked  whimsi- 
cally interested  and  amused. 

'  My  dear  Von  Glauben,  you  are  not  usually  so  incon- 
sistent !  Humphry  himself  has  kept  up  a  lie,  and  prac- 
tised a  fraud  on  the  girl " 

"  Only  for  a  time !  "  interrupted  the  Professor  hastily. 

"  Oh,  we  all  do  it  '  only  for  a  time.'  Everything  ■ — -  life 
itself  —  is  '  only  for  a  time !  '  You  know  as  well  as  I  do 
that  this  absurd  marriage  can  never  be  acknowledged.  I 
explained  as  much  to  Humphry ;  I  told  him  he  could 
guard  himself  by  the  morganatic  law,  provided  he  would 
consent  to  a  Royal  alliance  immediately  —  but  the  young 
fool  swore  it  would  be  bigamy,  and  took  himself  off  in 
a  huff." 

"  He  was   right !      It   would   be  bigamy ;  —  it    is  big- 


The  Professor  Advises        231 

amy!"  said  the  Professor;  "Call  it  by  what  name  you 
like  in  Court  parlance,  the  act  of  having  two  wives  is 
forbidden  in  this  country.  The  wisest  men  have  come  to 
the  conclusion  that  one  wife  is  enough !  " 

'  Humphry's  ideas  being  so  absolutely  childish,"  went 
on  the  King,  "it  is  necessary  for  him  to  expand  them 
somewhat.  That  is  why  I  shall  send  him  abroad.  You 
have  a  strong  flavour  of  romance  in  your  Teutonic  com- 
position, Von  Glauben,  —  and  I  can  quite  sympathise 
with  your  admiration  for  the  '  Glory-of-the-Sea  '  as  you 
call  her.  From  a  man's  point  of  view,  I  admire  her 
myself.  But  I  know  nothing  of  her  moral  or  mental 
qualities ;  though  from  her  flat  refusal  to  give  me  her 
husband's  name  yesterday,  I  judge  her  as  wilful,  —  but 
most  pretty  women  are  that.  And  as  for  my  line  of  con- 
duct, it  will,  I  assure  you,  be  perfectly  '  straight,'  —  in 
the  direction  of  my  duty  as  a  King,  —  apart  altogether 
from  sentimental  considerations !  And  in  this,  as  in  other 
things,  —  "  he  paused  and  emphasised  his  words  —  ''I 
rely  on  your  honour  and  faithful  service!  " 

The  Professor  made  no  reply.  He  was  thinking  deeply. 
With  a  kind  of  grim  scorn,  he  pointed  out  to  himself  that 
his  imagination  was  held  captive  by  the  mental  image  of 
a  woman,  whose  eyes  had  expressed  trust  in  him  ;  and 
almost  as  tenderly  as  the  lover  in  Tennyson's  '  Maud  '  he 
could  have  said  that  he  '  would  die,  To  save  from  some 
slight  shame  one  simple  girl.'  Presently  he  braced  him- 
self up,  and  confronted  his  Royal  master. 

"  Sir,"  he  said  very  quietly,  yet  with  perfect  frankness; 
'  Your  Majesty  must  have  the  goodness  to  pardon  me 
if  I  say  you  must  not  rely  upon  me  at  all  in  this  mat- 
ter !  I  will  promise  nothing,  except  to  be  true  to  myself 
and  my  own  sense  of  justice.  I  have  given  up  my  own 
country  for  conscience'  sake  -  -  i  can  easily  give  up  an- 
other which  is  not  my  own,  for  the  same  reason.  In  the 
matter  of  this  marriage  or  '  mesalliance  '  as  the  worldly 
would  call  it,  —  I  have  nothing  whatever  to  do.  While 
the  Prince  asked  me  to  keep  his  secret,  I  kept  it.  Now 
that  he  has  confided  it  to  your  Majesty,  I  am  relieved  and 
satisfied  ;  and  shall  not  in  any  way,  by  word  or  sugges- 
tion, interfere  with  your  Majesty's  intentions.  But,  at 
the  same  time,  I  shall  not  assist  them !     For  as  regards 


232  "Temporal  Power' 

the  trusting  girl  who  has  been  persuaded  that  she  has 
won  a  great  love  and  complete  happiness  for  all  her  life, 

—  I  have  sworn  to  be  her  friend ;  —  and  I  must  respect- 
fully decline  to  be  a  party  to  any  further  deception  in  her 
case.  Knowing  what  I  know  of  her  character,  which  is 
a  pure  and  grand  one,  I  think  it  would  be  far  better  to 
tell  her  the  whole  truth,  and  let  her  be  the  arbiter  of  her 
own  destiny.    She  will  decide  well  and  truly,  I  am  sure !  '' 

He  ceased  ;  the  King  was  silent.    Von  Glauben  studied 
his  face  attentively. 

'You  are  a  thinker,  Sir,  —  a  student  and  a  philoso- 
pher. You  are  not  one  of  those  kings  who  treat  their 
kingship  as  a  license  for  the  free  exercise  of  intolerant 
humours  and  vicious  practices.  Were  you  no  monarch 
at  all,  you  would  still  be  a  sane  and  thoughtful  man. 
Take  my  humble  advice,  Sir  —  for  once  put  the  unspoilt 
nature  of  a  pure  woman  to  the  test,  and  find  out  what  a 
grand  creature  God  intended  woman  to  be,  in  her  pris- 
tine simplicity  and  virtue !  Send  for  Gloria  to  this 
Court ;  —  tell  her  the  truth !  —  and  await  the  result 
with  confidence !  " 

There  was  a  pause.     The  King  walked  slowly  up  and 
down  ;   at  last  he  spoke. 

'  You  may  be  right !  I  do  not  say  you  are  wrong.  I 
will  consider  your  suggestion.  Certainly  it  would  be 
the  straightest  course.  But  first  a  complete  explanation 
is  due  to  the  Queen.  She  must  know  all,  —  and  if  her 
interest  can  be  awakened  by  such  a  triviality  as  her  son's 
love-affair  —  "  and  he  smiled  somewhat  bitterly,  —  "  per- 
haps she  may  agree  to  your  plan  as  the  best  way  out  of 
the  difficulty.  In  any  case "  —  here  he  extended  his 
hand  which  the  Professor  deferentially  bowed  over  — 
'  I  respect  your  honesty  and  plain  speaking,  Professor! 
I  have  reason  to  approve  highly  of  sincerity,  —  wherever 
and  however  I  find  it,  —  at  the  present  crisis  of  affairs. 
For  the  moment,  I  will  only  ask  you  to  be  on  your  guard 
with  Humphry ;  —  and  say  as  little  as  possible  to  him  on 
the  subject  of  his  marriage  or  intended  departure  from 
this  country.    Keep  everything  as  quiet  as  may  be ;  —  till 

—  till  we  find  a  clear  and  satisfactory  course  to  follow, 
which  shall  inflict  as  little  pain  as  possible  on  all  con- 
cerned.   And  now,  a  word  with  you  on  other  matters." 


The  Professor  Advises        233 

They  walked  on  side  by  side,  through  the  garden  walks 
and  ways,  conversing  earnestly, -- and  by  and  by  pene- 
trating into  the  deeper  recesses  of  the  outlying  woodlands, 
were  soon  hidden  among  the  crossing  and  recrossing  of 
the  trees.  Had  they  kept  to  the  open  ground,  from 
whence  the  wide  expanse  of  the  sea  could  be  viewed 
from  end  to  end,  their  discussions  might  perhaps  have 
been  interrupted,  and  themselves  somewhat  startled,  — 
for  they  would  have  seen  Prince  Humphry's  yacht,  with 
every  inch  of  canvas  stretched  to  the  utmost,  Hying 
rapidly  before  the  wind  like  a  wild  white  bird,  winging 
its  swift,  straight  way  to  the  west  where  the  sun  shot 
down  Apollo-like  shafts  of  gold  on  the  gleaming  purple 
coast-line  of  The  Islands. 


CHAPTER    XVII 

AN    "  HONOURABLE  "    STATESMAN 

IT  is  not  easy  to  trace  the  causes  why  it  so  often  happens 
that  semi-educated,  and  more  or  less  shallow  men 
rise  suddenly  to  a  height  of  brilliant  power  and  influence 
in  the  working  of  a  country's  policy.  Sometimes  it  is 
wealth  that  brings  them  to  the  front ;  sometimes  the 
strong  support  secretly  given  to  them  by  others  in  the 
background,  who  have  their  own  motives  to  serve,  and 
who  require  a  public  representative ;  but  more  often  still  it 
is  sheer  unscrupulousness, — or  what  may  be  described  as 
'  walking  over  '  all  humane  and  honest  considerations,  — 
that  places  them  in  triumph  at  the  helm  of  affairs.  To 
rise  from  a  statesman  to  be  a  Secretary  of  State  augurs  a 
certain  amount  of  brain,  though  not  necessarily  of  the 
highest  quality  ;  while  it  certainly  betokens  a  good  deal 
of  dash  and  impudence.  Carl  Perousse,  one  of  the  most 
prominent  among  the  political  notabilities  of  Europe,  had 
begun  his  career  by  small  peddling  transactions  in  iron 
and  timber  manufactures ;  he  came  of  a  very  plebeian 
stock,  and  had  received  only  a  desultory  sort  of  educa- 
tion, picked  up  here  and  there  in  cheap  provincial  schools. 
But  he  had  a  restless,  domineering  spirit  of  ambition. 
Ashamed  of  his  plebeian  origin,  and  embittered  from  his 
earliest  years  by  a  sense  of  grudge  against  those  who 
moved  in  the  highest  and  most  influential  circles  of  the 
time,  the  idea  was  always  in  his  mind  that  he  would  one 
day  make  himself  an  authority  over  the  very  persons, 
who,  in  the  rough  and  tumble  working-days  of  his 
younger  manhood,  would  not  so  much  as  cast  him  a  word 
or  a  look.  He  knew  that  the  first  thing  necessary  to 
attain  for  this  purpose  was  money  ;  and  he  had,  by  steady 
and  constant  plod,  managed  to  enlarge  and  expand  all  his 
business    concerns    into    various    important    companies, 


An  "  Honourable'    Statesman      235 

which  he  set  afloat  in  all  quarters  of  the  world,  —  with 
the  satisfactory  result  that  by  the  time  his  years  had  run 
well  into  the  forties,  he  was  one  of  the  wealthiest  men  in 
the  country.  He  had  from  the  first  taken  every  opportu- 
nity to  insinuate  himself  into  politics;  and  in  exact  pro- 
portion to  the  money  he  made,  so  was  his  success  in 
acquiring  such  coveted  positions  in  life  as  brought  with 
them  the  masterful  control  of  various  conflicting-  aims 
and  interests.  His  individual  influence  had  extended  by 
leaps  and  bounds  till  he  had  become  only  secondary  in 
importance  to  the  Prime  Minister  himself ;  and  he  pos- 
sessed a  conveniently  elastic  conscience,  which  could  be 
stretched  at  will  to  suit  any  party  or  any  set  of  principles. 
In  personal  appearance  he  was  not  prepossessing.  Na- 
ture had  branded  him  in  her  own  special  way  '  Trickster,' 
for  those  who  cared  to  search  for  her  trademark.  He 
was  tall  and  thin,  with  a  narrow  head  and  a  deeply-lined, 
clean-shaven  countenance,  the  cold  immovability  of  which 
was  sometimes  broken  up  by  an  unpleasant  smile,  that 
merely  widened  the  pale  set  lips  without  softening*  them, 
and  disclosed  a  crooked  row  of  smoke-coloured  teeth, 
much  decayed.  He  had  small  eyes,  furtively  hidden 
under  a  somewhat  restricted  frontal  development,  —  his 
brows  were  narrow,  —  his  forehead  ignoble  and  retreat- 
ing. But  despite  a  general  badness,  or  what  may  be 
called  a  '  smirchiness  '  of  feature,  he  had  learned  to  as- 
sume an  air  of  superiority,  which  by  its  sheer  audacity 
prevented  a  casual  observer  from  setting  him  down  as 
the  vulgarian  he  undoubtedly  was ;  and  his  amazing 
pluck,  boldness  and  originality  in  devising  ways  and 
means  of  smothering  popular  discontent  under  various 
'  shows  '  of  apparent  public  prosperity,  was  immensely 
useful  to  all  such  '  statesmen,'  whose  statesmanship  con- 
sisted in  making  as  much  money  as  possible  for  them- 
selves out  of  the  pockets  of  their  credulous  countrymen. 
He  was  seldom  disturbed  by  opposing  influences ;  and 
even  now  when  he  had  just  returned  from  the  palace  with 
the  full  knowledge  that  the  King  was  absolutely  resolved 
on  vetoing  certain  propositions  he  had  set  down  in  council 
for  the  somewhat  arbitrary  treatment  of  a  certain  half- 
tributary  power  which  had  latterly  turned  rebellious,  he 
was  more  amused  than  irritated. 


236  "Temporal  Power' 

'  I  suppose  his  Majesty  wants  to  distinguish  himself 
by  a  melodramatic  coup  d'etat!  "  he  said,  leaning  easily 
back  in  his  chair,  and  studying  the  tips  of  his  carefully 
pared  and  polished  finger-nails ;  —  "  Poor  fool !  I  don't 
blame  him  for  trying  to  do  something  more  than  walk 
about  his  palace  in  different  costumes  at  stated  intervals, 

—  but  he  will  find  his  '  veto  '  out  of  date.  We  shall  put 
it  to  the  country ;  —  and  I  think  I  can  answer  for  that !  " 

He  smiled,  as  one  who  knows  where  and  how  to  secure 
a  triumph,  and  his  equanimity  was  not  disturbed  in  the 
least  by  the  unexpected  arrival  of  the  Premier,  who  was 
just  then  announced,  and  who,  coming  in  his  turn  from 
the  King's  diplomatic  reception,  had  taken  the  oppor- 
tunity to  call  and  see  his  colleague  on  his  way  home. 

'  You  seem  fatigued,  Marquis  !  "  he  said,  as,  rising  to 
receive  his  distinguished  guest,  he  placed  a  chair  for  him 
opposite  his  own.  '  Was  his  Majesty's  conversazione 
more  tedious  than  usual?" 

Lutera  looked  at  him  with  a  dubious  air. 

"  No !  —  it  was  brief  enough  so  far  as  I  was  immedi- 
ately concerned,"  he  replied  ;  —  "I  do  not  suppose  I  stayed 
more  than  twenty  minutes  in  the  Throne-room  altogether. 
I  understand  you  have  been  told  that  our  proposed  nego- 
tiations are  to  be  vetoed?  " 

Perousse  smiled. 

'  I  have  been  told yes  !  —  but   I   have  been   told 

many  things  which  I  do  not  believe !  The  King  certainly 
has  the  right  of  veto  ;   but  he  dare  not  exercise  it." 

'Dare  not?"  echoed  the  Marquis  —  "  From  his  pres- 
ent unconstitutional  attitude  it  seems  to  me  he  dare  do 
anything !  " 

"I  tell  you  he  dare  not!"  repeated  Perousse  quietly; 

—  "'  Unless  he  wishes  to  lose  the  Throne.  I  daresay  if  it 
came  to  that,  we  should  get  on  quite  as  well  —  if  not 
better  - —  with  a  Republic  !  " 

Lutera  looked  at  him  with  an  amazed  and  reluctant 
admiration. 

"  You  talk  of  a  Republic  ?  You,  —  who  are  for 
ever  making  the  most  loyal  speeches  in  favour  of  the 
monarchy  ?  " 

'Why  not?"  queried  Perousse  lightly ;  —  "  If  the 
monarchy  does  not  do  as  it  is  told,  whip  it  like  a  naughty 


An  "Honourable'    Statesman      237 

child  and  send  it  to  bed.     That  has  been  easily  arranged 
before  now  in  history !  " 

The  Marquis  sat  silent,  —  thinking,  or  rather  brooding 
heavily.  Should  he,  or  should  he  not  unburden  himself 
of  certain  fears  that  oppressed  his  mind  ?  He  cleared 
his  throat  of  a  troublesome  huskiness  and  began,  — 

"  If  the  purely  business  transactions  in  which  you  are 
engaged " 

'  And  you  also,"  put  in  Perousse  placidly. 

The  Premier  shifted  his  position  uneasily  and  went  on. 

"  I  say,  if  the  purely  business  transactions  of  this  affair 
were  publicly  known " 

''  As   well   expect   Cabinet   secrets   to  be  posted   on   a 

hoarding    in    the    open    thoroughfare ! ':    said    Perousse. 

'  What  afflicts  you  with  these  sudden  pangs  of  distrust 

at  your  position  ?    You  have  taken  care  to  provide  for  all 

your  own  people !     What  more  can  you  desire  ?  " 

Lutera  hesitated  ;   then  he  said  slowly  :  — 

'  I  think  there  is  only  one  thing  for  me  to  do,  —  and 
that  is  to  send  in  my  resignation  at  once !  " 

Carl  Perousse  raised  himself  a  little  out  of  his  chair, 
and  opened  his  narrow  eyes. 

'*  Send  in  your  resignation !  "  he  echoed ;  "  On  what 
grounds  ?  Do  me  the  kindness  to  remember,  Marquis, 
that  I  am  not  yet  quite  ready  to  take  your  place !  " 

He  smiled  his  disagreeable  smile,  —  and  the  Marquis 
began  to  feel  irritated. 

'  Do  not  be  too  sure  that  you  will  ever  have  it  to  take," 
he  said  with  some  acerbity;     '  If  the  King  should  by  any 

means  come  to  know  of  your  financial  deal " 

'  You  seem  to  be  very  suddenly  afraid  of  the  King !  ' 
interrupted  Perousse ;  "  Or  else  strange  touches  of 
those  catch-word  ideals  '  Loyalty  '  and  '  Patriotism  '  are 
troubling  your  mind !  You  speak  of  my  financial  deal, 
—  is  not  yours  as  important  ?  Review  the  position  ;  — 
it  is  simply  this  ;  —  for  years  and  years  the  Ministry  have 
been  speculating  in  office  matters,  —  it  is  no  new  thing. 
Sometimes  they  have  lost,  and  sometimes  they  have  won ; 
their  losses  have  been  replaced  by  the  imposition  of  taxes 
on  the  people,  —  their  gains  they  have  very  wisely  said 
nothing  about.  In  these  latter  days,  however,  the  loss 
has  been  considerably  more  than  the  gain.     '  Patriotism,' 


238  "Temporal  Power 


y> 


as  stocks,  has  gone  down.  '  Honour  '  will  not  pay  the 
piper.  We  cannot  increase  taxation  just  at  present ;  but 
by  a  war,  we  can  clear  out  some  of  the  useless  population, 
and  invest  in  contracts  for  supplies.  The  mob  love  fight- 
ing, —  and  every  small  victory  won,  can  be  celebrated  in 
beer  and  illuminations,  to  expand  what  is  called  '  the 
heart  of  the  People.'  It  is  a  great  '  heart,'  and  always 
leaps  to  strong  drink,  —  which  is  cheap  enough,  being 
so  largely  adulterated.  The  country  we  propose  to  sub- 
due is  rich,  —  and  both  you  and  I  have  large  investments 
of  land  there.  With  the  success  which  our  arms  are  sure 
to  obtain,  we  shall  fill  not  only  the  State  coffers  (which 
have  been  somewhat  emptied  by  our  predecessors'  pecu- 
lations), but  our  own  coffers  as  well.  The  King  '  vetoes  ' 
the  war ;  then  let  us  hear  what  the  People  say !  Of 
course  we  must  work  them  up  first ;  and  then  get  their 
verdict  while  they  are  red-hot  with  patriotic  excitement. 
The  Press,  ordered  by  Jost,  can  manage  that !  Put  it  to 
the  country ;  (through  Jost)  ;  —  but  do  not  talk  of  resign- 
ing when  we  are  on  the  brink  of  success !  /  will  carry 
this  thing  through,  despite  the  King's  '  veto  ' !  " 

"  Wait !  "  said  the  Marquis,  drawing  his  chair  closer 
to  Perousse,  and  speaking  in  a  low  uneasy  tone ;  "  You 
do  not  know  all !  There  is  some  secret  agency  at  work 
against  us  ;  and,  among  other  things,  I  fear  that  a  foreign 
spy  has  been  inadvertently  allowed  to  learn  the  main- 
spring of  our  principal  moves.  Listen,  and  judge  for 
yourself!  " 

And  he  related  the  story  of  David  Jost's  midnight  ex- 
perience, carefully  emphasising  every  point  connected 
with  his  own  signet-ring.  As  he  proceeded  with  the 
narration,  Perousse's  face  grew  livid,  —  once  or  twice  he 
clenched  his  hand  laervously,  but  he  said  nothing  till  he 
had  heard  all. 

"  Your  ring,  you  say,  had  never  left  the  King's  pos- 
session? " 

"  So  the  King  himself  assured  me,  this  very  after- 
noon." 

'  Then  someone  must  have  passed  off  an  imitation 
signet  on  David  Jost,"  continued  Perousse  meditatively. 
"  What  name  did  the  spy  give  ?  " 

"  Pasquin  Leroy." 


An  "Honourable'    Statesman      239 

Carl  Perousse  opened  a  small  memorandum  book,  and 
carefully  wrote  the  name  down  within  it. 

"  Whatever  David  Jost  has  said,  David  Jost  alone  is 
answerable  for!  "  he  then  said  calmly  —  "  A  Jew  may  be 
called  a  liar  with  impunity,  and  whatever  a  Jew  has 
asserted  can  be  flatly  denied.  Remember,  he  is  in  our 
pay ! 

"  I  doubt  if  he  will  consent  to  be  made  the  scapegoat  in 
this  affair,"  said  Lutera ;  "  Unless  we  can  make  it  ex- 
ceptionally to  his  advantage ;  —  he  has  the  press  at  his 
command." 

"  Give  him  a  title !  "  returned  Perousse  contemptu- 
ously;    "These  Jew   press-men   love  nothing  better!" 

The  Marquis  smiled  somewhat  sardonically. 

"  Jost,  with  a  patent  of  nobility  would  cut  rather  an 
extraordinary  figure  !  "  he  said  ;  "  Still  he  would  probably 
make  good  use  of  it,  —  especially  if  he  were  to  start  a 
newspaper  in  London !  They  would  accept  him  as  a  great 
man  there !  " 

Perousse  gave  a  careless  nod  ;  his  thoughts  were  other- 
wise occupied. 

"  This  Pasquin  Leroy  has  gone  to  Moscow?" 

"  According  to  his  own  words,  he  was  leaving  this 
morning." 

"  I  daresay  that  statement  is  a  blind.  I  should  not  at 
all  wonder  if  he  is  still  in  the  city.  I  will  get  an  exact 
description  of  him  from  Jost,  and  set  Bernhoff  on  his 
track." 

"  Do  not  forget,"  said  the  Marquis  impressively,  "  that 
he  told  Jost  in  apparently  the  most  friendly  and  well- 
meaning  manner  possible,  that  the  King  had  discovered 
the  whole  plan  of  our  financial  campaign.  He  even  re- 
ported me  as  being  ready  to  resign  in  consequence " 

"Which  apparently  you  are!"  interpolated  Perousse 
with  some  sarcasm. 

"  I  certainly  have  my  resignation  in  prospect,"  returned 
Lutera  coldly  — "  And,  so  far,  this  mysterious  spy  has 
seemingly  probed  my  thoughts.  If  he  is  as  correct  in  his 
report  concerning  the  King,  it  is  impossible  to  say  what 
may  be  the  consequence." 

"Why,  what  can  the  King  do?"  demanded  Perousse 
impatiently,  and  with  scorn  for  the  vacillating  humour  of 


240  "Temporal  Power" 

his  companion ;  "  Granted  that  he  knew  everything  from 
the  beginning " 

"  Including  your  large  land  purchases  and  contract 
concessions  in  the  very  country  you  propose  war  with," 
put  in  the  Marquis,  —  "  Say  that  he  knew  you  had  re- 
solved on  war,  and  had  already  started  a  company  for  the 
fabrication  of  the  guns  and  other  armaments,  out  of 
which  you  get  the  principal  pickings  —  what  then  ?  " 

'What  then?"  echoed  Perousse  defiantly  —  "Why 
nothing !  The  King  is  as  powerless  as  a  target  in  a  field, 
set  up  for  arrows  to  be  aimed  at !  He  dare  not  divulge  a 
State  secret ;  he  has  no  privilege  of  interference  with 
politics ;  all  he  can  do  is  to  '  lead  '  fashionable  society  — 
a  poor  business  at  best  —  and  at  present  his  lead  is 
not  particularly  apparent.  The  King  must  do  as  We 
command !  " 

He  rose  and  paced  up  and  down  with  agitated  steps. 

'  To-day,  when  he  told  me  he  had  resolved  to  '  veto  ' 
my  propositions,  I  accepted  his  information  without  any 
manifestation  of  surprise.  I  merely  said  it  would  have 
to  be  stated  in  the  Senate,  and  that  reasons  would  have  to 
be  given.  He  agreed,  and  said  that  he  himself  would 
proclaim  those  reasons.    I  told  him  it  was  impossible!  " 

"  And  what  was  his  reply  ?  "  asked  the  Marquis. 

"  His  reply  was  as  absurd  as  his  avowed  intention. 
'  Hitherto  it  has  been  impossible,'  he  said ;  '  But  in  Our 
reign  we  shall  make  it  possible ! '  He  declined  any  fur- 
ther conversation  with  me,  referring  me  to  you  and  our 
chief  colleagues  in  the  Cabinet." 

"Well?" 

'  Well !  I  pay  no  more  attention  to  a  King's  sudden 
caprice  than  I  do  to  the  veering  of  the  wind !  He  will 
alter  his  mind  in  a  few  days,  when  the  exigency  of  the 
matters  in  hand  becomes  apparent  to  him.  In  the  same 
way,  he  will  revoke  his  decision  about  that  grant  of  land 
to  the  Jesuits.    He  must  let  them  have  their  way." 

"  What  benefit  do  we  get  by  favouring  the  Jesuits  ?  " 
asked  Lutera. 

1  Josfe  gets  a  thousand  a  year  for  putting  flattering 
notices  of  the  schools,  processions,  festivals  and  such  non- 
sense in  his  various  newspapers ;  and  our  party  secures 
the  political  support  of  the  Vatican  in  Europe,  —  which 


An  "  Honourable'    Statesman       241 

just  now  is  very  necessary.  The  Pope  must  give,  his 
Christian  benediction  not  only  to  our  Educational  system, 
hut  also  to  the  war !  " 

'  Then  the  King  has  set  himself  in  our  way  already, 
even  in  this  matter  ?  " 

"  He  has  !  Quite  unaccountably  and  very  foolishly.  But 
we  shall  persuade  him  still  to  be  of  our  opinion.  The  ass 
that  will  not  walk  must  be  beaten  till  he  gallops !  I  have 
110  anxiety  whatever  on  any  point ;  even  the  advent  of 
Jost's  spy,  with  an  imitation  of  your  signet  on  his  finger 
appears  to  me  quite  melodramatic,  and  only  helps  to  make 
the  general  situation  more  interesting,  —  to  me  at  least ; 
—  I  am  only  sorry  to  see  that  you  allow  yourself  to  be  so 
much  concerned  over  these  trifles !  " 

'  I  have  my  family  to  think  of,"  said  the  Marquis 
slowly ;  '  My  reputation  as  a  statesman,  and  my  honour 
as  a  minister  are  both  at  stake."  Perousse  smiled  oddly, 
but  said  nothing.  "  If  in  any  way  my  name  became  a 
subject  of  popular  animadversion,  it  would  entirely  ruin 
the  position  I  believe  I  have  attained  in  history.  I  have 
always  wished,  —  "  and  there  was  a  tinge  of  pathos  in 
his  voice- — "my  descendants  to  hold  a  certain  pride  in 
my  career !  " 

Perousse  looked  at  him  with  grim  amusement. 

'  It  is  a  curious  and  unpleasant  fact  that  the  '  descend- 
ants '  of  these  days  do  not  care  a  button  for  their  ances- 
tors," he  said  ;  "  They  generally  try  to  forget  them  as 
fast  as  possible.  What  do  the  descendants  of  Robes- 
pierre, (if  there  are  any),  care  about  him?  The  de- 
scendants of  Wellington  ?  The  descendants  of  Beethoven 
or  Lord  Byron  ?  Among  the  many  numerous  advan- 
tages attending  the  world-wide  fame  of  Shakespeare 
is  that  he  has  left  no  descendants.  If  he  had,  his 
memory  would  have  been  more  vulgarised  by  them, 
than  by  any  Yankee  kicker  at  his  grave !  One  of  the 
most  remarkable  features  of  this  progressive  age  is 
the  cheerful  ease  with  which  sons  forget  they  ever  had 
fathers !  I  am  afraid,  Marquis,  you  are  not  likely  to 
escape  the  common  doom  !  " 

Lutera  rose  slowly,  and  prepared  to  take  his  departure. 

"  I  shall  call  a  Cabinet  Council  for  Monday,"  he  said; 
"  This  is  Friday.    You  will  find  it  convenient  to  attend  ? ' 

16 


242  "Temporal  Power 


1 ■> 


Perousse,  rising  at  the  same  time,  assented  smilingly. 
'  You  will  see  things  in  a  better  and  clearer  light  by 
then,"  he  said.  "  Rely  on  me!  I  have  not  involved  you 
thus  far  with  any  intention  of  bringing  you  to  loss  or 
disaster.  Whatever  befalls  you  in  this  affair  must  equally 
befall  me  ;  we  are  both  in  the  same  boat.  We  must  carry 
things  through  with  a  firm  hand,  and  show  no  hesitation. 
As  for  the  King,  his  business  is  to  be  a  Dummy  ;  and  as 
Dummy  he  must  remain." 

Lutera  made  no  reply.  They  shook  hands,  —  not  over 
cordially,  —  and  parted  ;  and  as  soon  as  Perousse  heard 
the  wheels  of  the  Premier's  carriage  grinding  away  from 
his  outer  gate,  he  applied  himself  vigorously  to  the  handle 
of  one  of  the  numerous  telephone  wires  fitted  up  near  his 
desk,  and  after  getting  into  communication  with  the 
quarter  he  desired,  reqviested  General  Bernhoff,  Chief 
of  the  Police,  to  attend  upon  him  instantly.  Bernhoff's 
headquarters  were  close  by,  so  that  he  had  but  to  wait 
barely  a  quarter  of  an  hour  before  that  personage,  —  the 
same  who  had  before  been  summoned  to  the  presence  of 
the  King,  —  appeared. 

To  him  Perousse  handed  a  slip  of  paper,  on  which  he 
had  written  the  words  '  Pasquin  Leroy.' 

"  Do  you  know  that  name?  "  he  asked. 

General  Bernhoff  looked  at  it  attentively.  Only  the 
keenest  and  closest  observer  could  have  possibly  detected 
the  slight  flicker  of  a  smile  under  the  stiff  waxed  points 
of  his  military  moustache,  as  he  read  it.  He  returned  it 
carefully  folded. 

'I  fancy  I  have  heard  it!"  he  said  cautiously;  "In 
any  case,  I  shall  remember  it." 

"Good!  There  is  a  man  of  that  name  in  this  city; 
trace  him  if  you  can  !  Take  this  note  to  Mr.  David  Jost ' 
—  and  while  he  spoke  he  hastily  scrawled  a  few  lines  and 
addressed  them  —  "  and  he  will  give  you  an  exact  per- 
sonal description  of  him.  He  is  reported  to  have  left 
for  Moscow,  —  but  I  discredit  that  statement.  He  is  a 
foreign  spy,  engaged,  we  believe,  in  the  work  of  taking 
plans  of  our  military  defences,  —  he  must  be  arrested, 
and  dealt  with  rigorously  at  once.     You  understand  ?  " 

'  Perfectly,"  replied  Bernhoff,  accepting  the  note 
handed  to  him  ;  "  If  he  is  to  be  discovered,  I  shall  not  fail 
to  discover  him  !  " 


An  "Honourable'    Statesman      243 

"  And  when  you  think  you  arc  on  the  track,  let  me 
have  information  at  once,"  went  on  Perousse;  '  But  be 
well  on  your  guard,  and  let  no  one  learn  the  object  of 
your  pursuit.     Keep  your  own  counsel !  " 

"I  always  do!"  returned  Bernhoff  bluntly.  'If  I 
did  not  there  might  be  trouble!  " 

Perousse  looked  at  him  sharply,  but  seeing  the  wooden- 
like  impassiveness  of  his  countenance,  forced  a  smile. 

"  There  might  indeed !  "  he  said ;  "  Your  tact  and  dis- 
cretion, General,  do  much  to  keep  the  city  quiet.  But  this 
affair  of  Pasquin  Leroy  is  a  private  matter." 

"  Distinctly  so !  ""  agreed  Bernhoff  quietly ;  '  I  hold 
the  position  entirely!  " 

He  shortly  afterwards  withdrew,  and  Carl  Perousse, 
satisfied  that  he  had  at  any  rate  taken  precautions  to 
make  known  the  existence  of  a  spy  in  the  city,  if  not  to 
secure  his  arrest,  turned  to  the  crowding  business  on  his 
hands  with  a  sense  of  ease  and  refreshment.  He  might 
not  have  felt  quite  so  self-assured  and  complacent,  had 
he  seen  the  worthy  Bernhoff  smiling  broadly  to  himself 
as  he  strolled  along  the  street,  with  the  air  of  one  enjoy- 
ing a  joke,  the  while  he  murmured,  — 

"  Pasquin  Leroy,  —  engaged  in  taking  plans  of  the 
military  defences  -  -  is  he  ?  Ah  !  -  -  a  very  dangerous 
amusement  to  indulge  in  !  Engaged  in  taking  plans !  - 
Ah  !  —  Yes  !  —  Very  good,  -  -  very  good  ;  excellent !  Do 
I  know  the  name  ?  Yes  !  I  fancy  I  might  have  heard  it ! 
Oh,  yes,  very  good  indeed  -  -  excellent !  And  this  spy 
is  probably  still  in  the  city  ?  Yes  !  -  -  Probably !  Yes  - 
I  should  imagine  it  quite  likely  !  " 

Still  smiling,  and  apparently  in  the  best  of  humours 
with  himself  and  the  world  at  large,  the  General  contin- 
ued his  easy  stroll  by  the  sea-fronted  ways  of  the  city, 
along  the  many  picturesque  terraces,  and  up  flights  of 
marble  steps  built  somewhat  in  the  fashion  of  the  prettiest 
corners  of  Monaco,  till  he  reached  the  chief  promenade 
and  resort  of  fashion,  which  being  a  broad  avenue  running 
immediately  under  and  in  front  of  the  King's  palace 
facing  the  sea,  was  in  the  late  sunshine  of  the  afternoon 
crowded  with  carriages  and  pedestrians.  Here  he  took 
his  place  with  the  rest,  saluting  a  fellow  officer  here,  or 
a  friend  there,  —  and  stood  bareheaded  with  the  rest  of 


»5 


244  "Temporal  Power 

the  crowd,  when  a  light  gracefully-shaped  landau,  drawn 
by  four  greys,  and  escorted  by  postillions  in  the  Royal 
liveries,  passed  like  a  triumphal  car,  enshrining  the  cold, 
changeless  and  statuesque  beauty  of  the  Queen,  upon 
whom  the  public  were  never  weary  of  gazing.  She  was  a 
curiosity  to  them  —  a  living  miracle  in  her  unwithering 
loveliness ;  for,  apparently  unmoved  by  emotion  herself, 
she  roused  all  sorts  of  emotions  in  others.  Bernhoff  had 
seen  her  a  thousand  times,  but  never  without  a  sense  of 
new  dazzlement. 

"  Always  the  same  Sphinx !  "  he  thought  now,  with  a 
slight  frown  shading  the  bluff  good-nature  of  his  usual 
expression ;  "  She  is  a  woman  who  will  face  Death  as 
she  faces  Time,  —  with  that  cold  smile  of  hers  which  ex- 
presses nothing  but  scorn  of  all  life's  little  business ! ' : 

He  proceeded  meditatively  on  his  way  to  the  palace 
itself,  where,  on  demand,  he  was  at  once  admitted  to  the 
private  apartments  of  the  King. 


CHAPTER    XVIII 

ROYAL    LOVERS 

SILVER-WHITE  glamour  of  the  moon,  and  velvet 
darkness  of  deep  branching  foliage  held  the  quiet 
breadth  of  The  Islands  between  them.  Low  on  the  shore 
the  fantastic  shapes  of  one  or  two  tall  cliffs  were  outlined 
black  on  the  fine  sparkling  sand,  —  tiny  waves  rose  from 
the  bosom  of  the  calm  sea,  and  cuddling  together  in  baby 
ripples  made  bubbles  of  their  crests,  and  broke  here  and 
there  among  the  pebbles  with  low  gurgles  of  laughter, 
and  in  the  warm  silence  of  the  southern  night  the  nightin- 
gales began  to  tune  up  their  delicate  fluty  voices  with 
delicious  tremors  and  pauses  in  the  trying  of  their  song. 
The  under-scent  of  hidden  violets  among  moss  flowed 
potently  upon  the  quiet  air,  mingled  with  strong  pine- 
odours  and  the  salt  breath  of  the  gently  heaving  sea,  — 
and  all  the  land  seemed-as  lonely  and  as  fair  as  the  fabled 
Eden  might  have  been,  when  the  first  two  human  mated 
creatures  knew  it  as  their  own.  To  every  soul  that  loves 
for  the  first  time,  the  vision  of  that  Lost  Paradise  is 
granted  ;  to  every  man  and  woman  who  know  and  feel 
the  truth  of  the  divine  passion  is  vouchsafed  a  flashing 
gleam  of  glory  from  that  Heaven  which  gives  them  to 
each  other.  For  the  voluptuary  —  for  the  animal  man,  — 
who  like  his  four-footed  kindred  is  only  conscious  of  in- 
stinctive desire,  this  pure  expansion  of  the  heart  and 
ennobling  of  the  thought  is  as  a  sealed  book,  —  a  never- 
to-be-divulged  mystery  of  joy,  which,  because  he  cannot 
experience  it,  he  is  unable  to  believe  in.  It  is  a  glory- 
cloud  in  which  the  privileged  ones  are  '  caught  up  and 
received  out  of  sight.'  It  transfuses  the  roughest  ele- 
ments into  immortal  influences,- — it  colours  the  earth  with 
fairer  hues,  and  fills  the  days  with  beauty  ;  every  hour 
is  a  gem  of  sweet  thought  set  in  the  dreaming  soul,  and 
the  lover,  at  certain  times  of  rapt  ecstasy,  would  smile 


»» 


246  "Temporal  Power 

incredulously  were  he  told  that  anyone  living  could  be 
unhappy.  For  love  goes  back  to  the  beginning  of  things, 
—  to  the  time  when  the  world  was  new.  It  has  its  birth 
in  that  primeval  light  when  '  the  morning  stars  sang  to- 
gether, and  all  the  sons  of  God  shouted  for  joy.'  If  it  is 
real,  deep,  passionate  and  disinterested  love,  it  sees  no  diffi- 
culties and  knows  no  disillusions.  It  is  a  sufficient  assur- 
ance of  God  to  make  life  beautiful.  But  in  these  days  of 
the  eld-time  of  nations,  when  all  things  are  being  mixed 
and  prepared  for  casting  into  a  new  mould  of  world-for- 
mation, where  we  and  our  civilizations  are  not,  and  shall 
not  be,  —  any  more  than  the  Egyptian  Rameses  is  part 
of  us  now,  —  love  in  its  pristine  purity,  faith  and  sim- 
plicity, is  rare.  Very  little  romance  is  left  to  hallow  it ; 
and  it  is  doubtful  whether  the  white  moon,  swinging  like 
a  silver  lamp  in  heaven  above  the  peaceful  Islands,  shed 
her  glory  anywhere  on  any  such  lovers  in  the  world,  as 
the  two  who  on  this  fair  night  of  the  southern  springtime, 
with  arms  entwined  round  each  other,  moved  slowly  up 
and  down  on  the  velvet  greensward  outside  Ronsard's 
cottage,  —  Gloria  and  her  '  sailor  '  husband. 

Gloria  was  happy,  —  and  her  happiness  made  her 
doubly  beautiful.  Clad  in  her  usual  attire  of  white 
homespun,  with  her  rich  hair  falling  unbound  over  her 
shoulders  in  girl-fashion,  and  just  kept  back  by  a  band 
of  white  coral,  she  looked  like  a  young  goddess  of  the 
sea ;  her  lustrous,  starlike  eyes  gazed  up  into  the  tender 
responsive  ones  of  the  handsome  stripling  she  nad  so 
trustfully  wedded,  and  not  a  shadow  of  doubt  or  fear 
darkened  the  heaven  of  her  confidence.  She  did  not 
know  how  beautiful  she  was,  —  she  did  not  realise  that 
her  body  was  like  one  of  the  unfettered,  graceful  and 
perfectly-proportioned  figures  of  women  left  to  our  won- 
dering reverence  by  the  Greek  sculptors,  —  she  had  never 
thought  about  herself  at  all,  not  even  to  compare  her  fair 
brilliancy  of  skin  with  the  bronzed,  weather-beaten  faces 
of  the  fisher-folk  among  whom  she  dwelt.  Resting  her 
delicate  classic  head  against  the  encircling  arm  of  her 
lover  and  lord,  her  beauty  seemed  almost  unearthly  in 
its  pure  transparency  of  feature,  outlined  by  the  silver 
glimmer  of  the  moonbeams ;  and  the  young  man  by  her 
side,  with  his  handsome  dark  head,  tall  figure  and  distin- 


Royal  Lovers  247 


guished  bearing,  looked  the  fitting  mate  for  her  fair,  blos- 
soming womanhood.  No  two  lovers  were  ever  more 
ideally  matched  in  physical  perfection ;  and  as  they 
moved  slowly  to  and  fro  on  the  soft  dark  grass,  brush- 
ing the  dewy  scent  from  hanging  rose-boughs  that  pushed 
out  inviting  tufts  of  white  and  pink  bloom  here  and  there 
from  the  surrounding  foliage,  they  would  have  served 
many  a  poet  for  some  sweet  idyll,  or  romance  in  rhyme, 
which  should  hold  in  its  stanzas  the  magic  of  immortality. 
Yet  there  was  a  shade  of  uneasiness  in  the  minds  of  both. 
—  Prince  Humphry  was  more  silent  than  usual,  and 
seemed  absorbed  in  thought ;  and  Gloria,  looking  timidly 
up  from  time  to  time  at  the  dark  poetic  face  of  her  'sailor' 
lover,  felt  with  a  woman's  quick  instinct  that  something 
was  troubling  him,  and  remorsefully  concluded  that  she 
was  to  blame,  —  that  he  had  heard  of  her  having  been 
seen  by  the  King,  and  that  he  was  evidently  vexed  by  it. 
He  had  arrived  that  evening  suddenly  and  unexpectedly ; 
for  she  and  her  '  little  father,'  as  she  called  Rene  Ronsard, 
had  just  begun  their  frugal  supper,  when  the  Crown 
Prince's  yacht  swept  into  the  bay  and  dropped  anchor. 
Half  an  hour  later  he,  the  much-beloved  '  junior  officer  ' 
in  the  Crown  Prince's  service  had  appeared  at  the  cottage 
door,  greatly  to  their  delight,  for  they  did  not  expect  to 
see  him  so  soon.  They  had  supped  together,  and  then 
Ronsard  himself  had  gone  to  superintend  a  meeting  at  a 
small  social  club  he  had  started  for  the  amusement  of  the 
fisher-folk,  wisely  leaving  the  young  wedded  lovers  to 
themselves.  And  they  had  for  a  long  time  been  very 
quiet,  save  for  such  little  words  of  love  as  came  into  tune 
with  the  interchange  of  caresses,  —  and  after  a  pause 
of  anxious  inward  thought,  Gloria  ventured  on  a  timid 
query. 

'  Dearest,  —  are  you  very  angry  with  me  ?  " 

He  started,  —  and  stopping  in  his  walk,  turned  the  fair 
face  up  between  his  two  hands,  as  one  might  lift  a  rose 
on  its  stem,  and  kissed  it  tenderly. 

"  Angry  ?  How  can  I  ever  be  angry  with  you.  Sweet  ? 
Besides  what  cause  have  I  for  anger  ?  " 

'  I  thought,  perhaps  —  "  murmured  Gloria,  "  that  if 
the  Professor  told  you  what  I  did  yesterday,  —  when  the 
King  came " 


248  "Temporal  Power' 

'  He  did  tell  me ;  "  and  the  Prince  still  gazed  down  on 
that  heavenly  beauty  which  was  the  light  of  the  world  to 
him.  "  He  told  me  that  you  sang ;  —  and  that  your 
golden  voice  was  a  musical  magnet  which  drew  his  Maj- 
esty to  your  feet !  I  am  not  surprised,  —  it  was  only 
natural !  But  I  could  have  wished  it  had  not  happened 
just  yet;  however,  it  has  happened,  and  we  must  make 
the  best  of  it !  " 

'  It  was  my  fault,"  said  the  girl  penitently;  —  "  I  had 
the  fancy  to  sing;  and  I  would  sing,  though  the  good 
Professor  told  me  not  to  do  so !  " 

The  Prince  was  silent.  He  was  bracing  his  mind  to  the 
inevitable.  He  had  determined  that  on  this  very  night 
Gloria  should  know  the  truth.  For  he  was  instinctively 
certain  that  if  he  went  abroad,  as  his  father  wished  him 
to  do,  some  means  would  be  taken  to  remove  her  alto- 
gether from  the  country  before  his  return ;  and  his  idea 
was  to  tell  her  all,  and  make  her  accompany  him  on  his 
travels.  As  his  wife,  she  was  bound  to  obey  him,  he  ar- 
gued within  himself ;  she  should,  she  must  go  with  him  ! 
Unconsciously  Gloria's  next  words  supplied  him  with  an 
opening  to  the  subject. 

'  Why  did  you  never  tell  me  that  the  Professor  was  in 
the  King's  service  ?  "  she  asked.  "  He  seemed  to  know 
him  quite  well,  —  indeed,  almost  as  a  friend !  " 

'  He  is  the  King's  physician,"  answered  the  Prince 
abruptly ;  "  And,  therefore,  he  is  very  greatly  in  the 
King's  confidence." 

He  walked  on,  still  keeping  his  arm  round  her,  and 
seemed  not  to  see  the  half-frightened  glance  she  gave 
him. 

"  The  King's  physician  !  "  she  echoed  ;  —  "He  does  not 
seem  a  great  person  at  all,  —  he  is  quite  a  simple  old 
German  man !  " 

Her  lover  smiled. 

'  To  be  physician  to  the  King,  my  Gloria,  is  not  a 
very  wonderful  honour !  It  merely  implies  that  the  man 
so  chosen  is  perhaps  the  ablest  fencer  with  sickness  and 
death  ;  the  greatness  is  in  the  simple  old  German  himself, 
not  in  the  King's  preference.     Von  Glauben  is  a  good 


man." 


I  know  it;"  said  Gloria  gently ;   "  He  is  good,  —  and 


Royal  Lovers  249 

very  kind.  He  said  he  would  always  be  my  friend,  — 
but  he  was  very  strange  in  his  manner  yesterday,  and 
almost  I  was  vexed  with  him.  Do  you  know  what  he 
said  ?  He  asked  me  what  I  should  do  if  you  —  my  hus- 
band, had  deceived  me ?    Can  you  imagine  such  a  thing?  ': 

Now  was  the  supreme  moment.  With  a  violently  beat- 
ing heart  the  Prince  halted,  and  putting  both  arms  round 
her  waist,  drew  her  up  to  him  in  such  a  way  that  their 
eyes  looked  close  into  each  other's,  and  their  lips  were 
within  kissing  touch. 

"  Yes,  my  sweetest  one !  I  can  imagine  such  a  thing ! 
Such  a  thing  is  possible !  Consider  it  to  be  true !  Con- 
sider that  I  have  deceived  you !  " 

She  did  not  move  from  his  clasp,  but  into  her  large, 
lovely  trusting  eyes  came  a  look  of  grief  and  terror,  and 
her  face  grew  ashy  pale. 

"  In  what  way?  "  she  whispered  faintly;  "  Tell  me!  I 
—  I  —  cannot  believe  it!" 

"  Gloria,  —  Gloria !  My  love,  my  darling !  Do  not 
tremble  so !  Do  not  fear !  I  have  not  deceived  you  in 
any  evil  way,  —  what  I  have  done  was  for  your  good  and 
mine ;  but  now  —  now  there  is  no  longer  any  need  of 
deception,  —  you  may,  and  shall  know  all  the  truth,  my 
wife,  my  dearest  in  the  world !  You  shall  know  me  as  I 
truly  am  at  last !  " 

She  moved  restlessly  in  his  strong  clasp,  —  she  was 
trembling  from  head  to  foot,  as  if  her  blood  was  sud- 
denly chilled. 

"  As  you  truly  are ! ':  she  echoed,  with  pale  lips  — 
"  Are  you  not  then  what  I  have  believed  you  to  be?  " 

And  she  made  an  effort  to  withdraw  herself  entirely 
from  his  embrace.     But  he  held  her  fast. 

"  I  am  your  husband,  Gloria !  "  he  said,  "  and  you  are 
my  wife !  Nothing  can  alter  that ;  nothing  can  change 
our  love  or  disunite  our  lives.  But  I  am  not  the  poor 
naval  officer  I  have  represented  myself  to  be !  —  though 
I  am  glad  I  adopted  such  a  disguise,  because  by  its  aid  I 
wooed  and  won  your  love !  I  am  not  in  the  service  of 
the  Crown  Prince,  —  except  in  so  far  as  I  serve  my  own 
needs!  Why,  how  you  tremble!"  —  and  he  held  her 
closer  —  "Do  not  be  afraid,  my  darling!  Lift  up  your 
eyes  and  look  at  me  with  your  own  sweet  trusting  look, 


250  "Temporal  Power' 

—  do  not  turn  away  from  me,  because  instead  of  being 
the  Prince's  servant,  I  am  the  Prince  himself !  " 

'The  Prince!"  And  with  a  cry  of  utter  desolation, 
Gloria  wrenched  herself  out  of  his  arms,  and  stood  apart, 
looking  at  him  in  wild  alarm  and  bewilderment.  "  The 
Prince!  You — you! — my  husband  !  You, — the  King's 
son!  And  you  have  married  me!  —  oh,  how  cruel  of 
you  ! how  cruel ! how  cruel !  " 

Covering  her  face  with  her  hands,  she  broke  into  a  low 
sobbing,  —  and  the  Prince,  cut  to  the  heart  by  her  dis- 
tress, caught  her  again  in  his  arms. 

"  Hush,  Gloria!  "  he  said,  with  an  accent  of  authority, 
though  his  own  voice  was  tremulous ;  "  You  must  not 
grieve  like  this !  You  will  break  my  heart !  Do  you  not 
understand  ?  Do  you  not  see  that  all  my  life  is  bound  up 
in  you  ?  —  that  I  give  it  to  you  to  do  what  you  will  with  ? 

—  that  I  care  nothing  for  rank,  state  or  throne  without 
you  ?  —  that  I  will  let  all  the  world  go  rather  than  lose 
you  ?  Gloria,  do  not  weep  so !  —  do  not  weep  !  Every 
tear  of  yours  is  a  pang  to  me!  What  does  it  matter 
whether  I  am  prince  or  commoner  ?  I  love  you  !  —  we 
love  each  other!  —  we  are  one  in  the  sight  of  Heaven  !  " 

He  held  her  passionately  in  his  arms,  kissing  the  soft 
clusters  of  hair  that  fell  against  his  breast,  and  whisper- 
ing all  the  tenderest  words  of  endearment  he  could  think 
of  to  console  and  soothe  her  anguish.  By  degrees  she 
grew  calmer,  and  her  sobs  gradually  ceased.  Dashing 
the  tears  from  her  eyes,  she  looked  up,  —  her  face  white 
as  marble. 

'  You  must  not  tell  Ronsard !  "  she  said  in  faint  tones 
that  shook  with  fear;     '  He  would  kill  you!  " 

The  Prince  smiled  indulgently ;  his  only  thought  was 
for  her,  and  so  long  as  he  could  dry  her  tears,  Ronsard's 
rage  or  pleasure  was  nothing  to  him. 

"  He  would  kill  you !  "  repeated  Gloria,  with  wide  open 
tear-wet  eyes ;  "  He  hates  all  kings,  in  his  heart !  —  and  if 
he  knew  that  you — you —  my  husband,  —  were  what  you 
say  you  are ;  —  if  he  thought  you  had  married  me  under 
a  disguise,  only  to  leave  me  and  never  to  want  me  any 
more " 

"  Gloria,  Gloria!  "  cried  the  Prince,  in  despair;  '  Why 
will  you  say  such  things  !     Never  to  want  you  any  more ! 


Royal  Lovers  251 

I  want  you  all  my  life,  and  every  moment  of  that  life! 
Gloria,  you  must  listen  to  me  —  you  must  not  turn  from 
me  at  the  very  time  I  need  you  most !  Are  you  not  brave? 
Are  you  not  true?    Do  you  not  love  me?  " 

With  a  pathetic  gesture  she  stretched  out  her  hands 
to  him. 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  love  you !  "  she  said ;  '  I  love  you  with  all 
my  heart !  But  you  have  deceived  me !  —  my  dearest, 
you  have  deceived  me !  And  if  you  had  only  told  me  the 
truth,  I  would  never,  —  for  your  own  sake,  —  have  mar- 
ried you !  " 

"  I  know  that !  "  said  the  Prince ;  "And  that  is  why  I 
determined  to  win  you  under  the  mask  of  poverty !  Now 
listen,  my  Princess  and  my  Queen !  —  for  you  are  both ! 
I  want  all  your  help  —  all  your  love  —  all  your  trust! 
Do  not  be  afraid  of  Ronsard ;  he  will,  he  can  do  noth- 
ing to  harm  me !  You  are  my  wife,  Gloria,  —  you  have 
promised  before  God  to  obey  me!  I  claim  your  obe- 
dience !  " 

She  stood  silent,  looking  at  him,  —  pale  and  fair  as 
an  ivory  statue  of  Psyche,  seen  against  the  dark  back- 
ground of  the  heavily-branched  trees.  Her  mind  was 
stunned  and  confused;  she  had  not  yet  grasped  the  full 
consciousness  of  her  position,  —  but  as  he  spoke,  the  old 
primitive  lessons  of  faith,  steadfastness  of  purpose,  and 
unwavering  love  and  trust  in  God,  which  her  adopted 
father  had  instilled  into  her  from  childhood,  rose  and 
asserted  their  sway  over  her  startled,  but  unspoilt  soul. 

"  You  need  not  claim  it !  "  she  said,  slowly ;  '  It  is 
yours  always !  I  shall  do  whatever  you  tell  me,  even  if 
you  command  me  to  die  for  your  sake !  " 

With  a  swift  impulsive  action,  full  of  grace  and  spirit, 
he  dropped  on  one  knee  and  kissed  her  hand. 

"  And  so  I  pledge  my  faith  to  my  Queen !  "  he  said 
joyously.  "  Gloria^!  my"  '  Glory-of-the-Sea  ' !  —  you  will 
forgive  me  for  having  in  this  one  thing  misled  you? 
Think  of  me  as  your  sailor  lover  still !  —  it  is  a  much 
harder  thing-  to  be  a  king's  son  than  a  simple,  independent 
seafarer !  Pity  me  for  my  position,  and  help  me  to  make 
it  endurable !  Come  now  with  me  down  to  that  rocky 
nook  on  the  shore  where  I  first  saw  you,  —  and  T  will  tell 
vou  exactlv  how  evervthing  stands, --and  how   I  trust 


252  "Temporal  Power' 

to  your  love  for  me  and  your  courage,  to  clear  away  all 
the  difficulties  before  us.     You  do  not  love  me  less  ?  ': 

"  I  could  not  love  you  less!  "  she  replied  slowly ;  "  but 
I  cannot  think  of  you  as  quite  the  same !  " 

A  shadow  of  pain  darkened  his  face. 

"  Gloria,"  he  said  sadly;  "  If  your  love  was  as  great 
as  mine  you  would  forgive !  " 

She  stood  a  moment  wavering  and  uncertain ;  their 
eyes  were  riveted  on  each  other  in  a  strange  spiritual  at- 
traction —  her  soft  lips  were  a  little  relaxed  from  their 
gravity  as  she  steadfastly  regarded  him.  She  was  em- 
barrassed, conscious,  and  very  pale ;  but  he  drank  in 
gratefully  the  wonder  and  shy  worship  of  those  pure 
eyes,  —  and  waited.  Suddenly  she  sprang  to  him  and 
closed  her  arms  about  his  neck,  kissing  him  with  simple 
and  loving  tenderness. 

"I  do  forgive!  Oh,  I  do  forgive!"  she  murmured; 
"  Because  I  love  you,  my  darling  —  because  I  love  you ! 
Whatever  you  wish  I  will  do  for  your  love's  sake  —  be- 
lieve me!  —  but  I  am  frightened  just  now!  —  it  is  as  if 
I  did  not  know  you  —  as  if  someone  had  taken  you  sud- 
denly a  long  way  oft'!     Give  me  a  little  time  to  recover 

my   courage ! and   to   know  "  —  here   a    faint    smile 

trembled  on  her  beautiful  curved  mouth  —  "  to  know,  — 
and  to  feel,  —  that  you  are  still  my  own !  —  even  though 

the  world  may  try  to  part  you  from  me! still  my  very 

own !  " 

The  warmth  of  passionate  feeling  in  her  face  flushed  it 
into  a  rose-glow  that  spread  from  chin  to  brow,  —  and 
clasping  her  to  his  breast,  he  gave  her  the  speechless  an- 
swer that  love  inscribes  on  eyes  and  lips,  —  then,  keep- 
ing his  arm  tenderly  about  her,  he  led  her  gently  into  the 
path  through  the  pinewood,  which  wound  down  to  their 
favourite  haunt  by  the  sea. 

The  moonlight  had  now  increased  in  brilliancy,  and 
illumined  the  landscape  with  all  the  opulence,  splendour 
and  superabundance  of  radiance  common  to  the  south,  — 
the  air  was  soft  and  balmy,  and  one  great  white  cloud 
floating  lazily  under  the  silver  orb,  moved  slowly  to  the 
centre  of  the  heavens,  —  the  violet-blue  of  night  falling 
around  it  like  an  imperial  robe  of  state.  The  two  youth- 
ful figures  passed  under  the  pine-boughs,  which  closed 


Royal  Lovers  253 


over  them  odorously  in  dark  arches  of  shadow,  and 
wended  their  slow  way  down  to  the  seashore,  from 
whence  they  could  see  the  Royal  yacht  lying  at  anchor, 
every  tapering  line  of  her  fair  proportions  distinctly  out- 
lined against  the  sky,  and  all  her  masts  shining  as  if  they 
had  been  washed  with  silver  dew ;  and  the  Heir- Appar- 
ent to  a  throne  was,  —  for  once  in  the  history  of  Heir- 
Apparents,  —  happy  —  happy  in  knowing  that  he  was 
loved  as  princes  seldom  or  never  are  loved,  —  not  for  his 
power,  not  for  his  rank,  but  simply  for  himself  alone,  by 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  women  in  the  world,  who,  —  if 
she  knew  neither  the  ways  of  a  Court,  nor  the  wiles  of 
fashion,  —  had  something  better  than  either  of  these, — 
the  sanctity  of  truth  and  the  strength  of  innocence. 

Rene  Ronsard,  coming  back  from  his  pleasurable  duties 
as  host  and  chairman  to  his  fishermen-friends,  found  the 
cottage  deserted,  and  smiled,  as  he  sat  himself  down  in 
the  porch  to  smoke,  and  to  wait  for  the  lover's  return. 

"  What  a  thing  it  is  to  be  young!  "  he  sighed,  as  he 
gazed  meditatively  at  the  still  beauty  of  the  night  around 
him ;  —  "To  be  young,  —  and  in  love  with  the  right 
person !  Hours  go  like  moments  —  the  grass  is  never 
damp — the  air  is  never  cold — there  is  never  time  enough 
to  give  all  the  kisses  that  are  waiting  to  be  given  ;  and  life 
is  so  beautiful,  that  we  are  almost  able  to  understand 
why  God  created  the  universe !  The  rapture  passes  very 
quickly,  unfortunately  —  with  some  people  ;  —  but  if  I 
ever  prayed  for  anything  —  which  I  do  not  —  I  should 
pray  that  it  might  remain  with  Gloria!  It  surely  cannot 
offend  the  Supreme  Being  who  is  responsible  for  our  ex- 
istence, to  see  one  woman  happy  out  of  all  the  tortured 
millions  of  them!  One  exception  to  the  universal  rule 
would  not  make  much  difference!  The  law  that  the 
strong  should  prey  on  the  weak,  nearly  always  prevails, 
—  but  it  is  possible  to  hope  and  believe  that  on  rare  occa- 
sions the  strong  may  be  magnanimous !  " 

He  smoked  on  placidly,  considering  various  points  of 
philosophic  meditation,  and  by  and  by  fell  into  a  gentle 
doze.  The  doze  deepened  into  a  dream  which  grew 
sombre  and  terrible,  —  and  in  it  he  thought  he  saw  him- 
self standing  bareheaded  on  a  raised  platform  above  surg- 
ing millions  of  people  who  all  shouted  with  one  terrific 


254  "Temporal  Power' 

uproar  of  unison  —  "  Regicide  !  Regicide  !  "  He  looked 
down  upon  his  hands,  and  saw  them  red  with  blood !  — 
he  looked  up  to  the  heavens,  and  they  were  flushed  with 
the  same  ominous  hue.  Blood  !  —  blood !  —  the  blood 
of  kings,  —  the  dust  of  thrones  !  —  and  he,  the  cause ! 
Choked  and  tormented  with  a  parching  thirst,  it  seemed 
in  the  dream  that  he  tried  to  speak,  —  and  with  all  his 
force  he  cried  out  —  "  For  her  sake  I  did  it !  For  her 
sake !  '  But  the  clamour  of  the  crowd  drowned  his  voice, 
—  and  then  it  was  as  if  the  coldness  of  death  crept  slowly 
over  him,  —  slowly  and  cruelly,  as  though  his  whole  body 
were  being  enclosed  within  an  iceberg,  - —  and  he  saw 
Gloria,  the  child  of  his  love  and  care,  laid  out  before  him 
dead,  —  but  robed  and  crowned  like  a  queen,  and  placed 
on  a  great  golden  bier  of  state,  with  purple  velvet  falling 
about  her,  and  tall  candles  blazing  at  her  head  and  feet. 
And  voices  sang  in  his  ears — "Gloria!  Gloria  in  excelsis 
Deo!"  —  mingling  with  the  muffled  chanting  of  priests  at 
some  distant  altar ;  and  he  thought  he  made  an  attempt  to 
touch  the  royal  velvet  pall  that  draped  her  beautiful  life- 
less body,  when  he  was  roughly  thrust  back  by  armed 
men  with  swords  and  bayonets  who  asked  him  "  What  do 
you  here?  Are  you  not  her  murderer?  "  —  and  he  cried 
out  wildly  "No,  no!  Never  could  I  have  harmed  the 
child  of  my  love !  Never  could  I  hurt  a  hair  of  her  head, 
or  cause  her  an  hour's  sorrow !  She  is  all  I  had  in  the 
world !  —  I  loved  her !  —  I  loved  her !  Let  me  see  her !  — 
let  me  touch  her!  —  let  me  kiss  her  once  again!  "  And 
then  the  scene  suddenly  changed,  —  and  it  was  found  that 
Gloria  was  not  dead  at  all,  but  walking  peacefully  alone 
in  a  garden  of  flowers,  with  lilies  crowning  her,  and  all 
the  sunshine  about  her ;  and  that  the  golden  bier  of  state 
had  changed  into  a  ship  at  sea  which  was  floating,  float- 
ing westward  bearing  some  great  message  to  a  far  coun- 
try, and  that  all  was  well  for  him  and  his  darling.  The 
troubled  vision  cleared  from  his  brain,  and  his  sleep  grew 
calmer  ;  he  breathed  more  easily,  and  flitting  glimpses  of 
fair  scenes  passed  before  his  dreaming  eyes,  —  scenes  in 
some  peaceful  and  beautiful  world,  where  never  a  shadow 
of  sorrow  or  trouble  darkened  the  quiet  contentment  of 
happy  and  innocent  lives.  He  smiled  in  bis  sleep,  and 
heaved  a  deep  sigh  of  pleasure,  —  and  so,  gently  awoke, 


Royal  Lovers  255 

to  feel  a  light  touch  on  his  shoulder,  and  to  see  Gloria 
standing  before  him.  A  smile  was  on  her  face,  —  the 
fragrance  of  the  woodlands  and  the  sea  clung  about  her 
garments,  —  she  held  a  few  roses  in  her  hand,  and  there 
was  something  in  her  whole  appearance  that  struck  him 
as  new,  commanding,  and  more  than  ever  beautiful. 

'  You  have  returned  alone?  "  he  said  wonderingly. 

'  Yes.  I  have  returned  alone !  I  have  much  to  tell 
you,  dear!     Let  us  go  in!  " 


CHAPTER    XIX 

OF    THE    CORRUPTION    OF    THE    STATE 

THE  large  gaunt  building,  which  was  dignified  by  the 
name  of  the  '  People's  Assembly  Rooms,'  stood  in 
a  dim  unfashionable  square  of  the  city  which  had  once 
been  entirely  devoted  to  warehouses  and  storage  cellars. 
It  had  originally  served  a  useful  purpose  in  providing 
temporary  shelter  for  foreign-made  furniture,  which 
was  badly  constructed  and  intrinsically  worthless, — but 
which,  being  cheaply  imported  and  showy  in  appearance, 
was  patronized  by  some  of  the  upper  middle-classes  in 
preference  to  goods  of  their  own  home  workmanship. 
Lately,  however,  the  foreign  import  had  fallen  to  almost 
less  than  nothing:  and  whether  or  no  this  was  due  to  the 
secret  machinations  of  Sergius  Thord  and  his  Revolu- 
tionary Committee,  no  one  would  have  had  the  hardihood 
to  assert.  Foreign  tradesmen,  however,  and  foreign 
workmen  generally  had  certainly  experienced  a  check  in 
their  inroads  upon  home  manufactures,  and  some  of  the 
larger  business  firms  had  been  so  successfully  intimidated 
as  to  set  up  prominent  announcements  outside  their  ware- 
houses to  the  effect  that  "  Only  native  workmen  need 
apply."  Partly  in  consequence  of  the  "  slump  "  in  for- 
eign goods,  the  "  Assembly  Rooms,"  as  a  mere  building 
had  for  some  time  been  shut  up,  and  given  over  to  dust 
and  decay,  till  the  owners  of  the  property  decided  to  let 
it  out  for  popular  concerts,  meetings  and  dances,  and  so 
make  some  little  money  out  of  its  bare  whitewashed  walls 
and  comfortless  ugliness.  The  plan  had  succeeded  fairly 
well,  and  the  place  was  beginning  to  be  known  as  a  con- 
venient centre  where  thousands  were  wont  to  congregate, 
to  enjoy  cheap  music  and  cheap  entertainment  generally. 
It  was  a  favourite  vantage  ground  for  the  disaffected  and 
radical  classes  of  the  metropolis  to  hold  forth  on  their 
wrongs,  real  or  imaginary,  —  and   the  capacities  of  the 


Of  the  Corruption  of  the  State     257 

largest  room  or  hall  in  the  building  were  put  to  their  ut- 
most extent  to  hold  the  enormous  audiences  that  always 
assembled  to  hear  the  picturesque,  passionate  and  striking 
oratory  of  Sergius  Thord. 

But  there  were  one  or  two  rare  occasions  when  even 
Sergius  Thord's  attractions  as  a  speaker  were  thrown  into 
the  background,  by  the  appearance  of  that  mysterious 
personality  known  as  Lotys,  —  concerning  whom  a  thou- 
sand extravagant  stories  were  rife,  none  of  which  were 
true.  It  was  rumoured  among  other  things  as  wild  and 
strange,  that  she  was  the  illegitimate  child  of  a  certain 
great  prince,  whose  amours  were  legion  —  that  she  had 
been  thrown  out  into  the  street  to  perish,  deserted  as  an 
infant,  and  that  Sergius  Thord  had  rescued  her  from  that 
impending  fate  of  starvation  and  death,  —  and  that  it 
was  by  way  of  vengeance  for  the  treatment  of  her  mother 
by  the  Exalted  Personage  involved,  that  she  had  thrown 
in  her  lot  with  the  Revolutionary  party,  to  aid  their  pro- 
paganda by  her  intellectual  gifts,  which  were  many.  She 
was  known  to  be  very  poor,  —  she  lived  in  cheap  rooms 
in  a  low  quarter  of  the  city ;  she  was  seldom  or  never 
seen  in  the  public  thoroughfares,  —  she  appeared  to  have 
no  women  friends,  and  she  certainly  mixed  in  no  form  of 
social  intercourse  or  entertainment.  Yet  her  name  was 
on  the  lips  of  the  million,  and  her  influence  was  felt  far 
beyond  the  city's  radius.  Even  among  some  of  the  high- 
est and  wealthiest  classes  of  society  this  peculiar  appella- 
tion of  "  Lotys,"  carrying  no  surname  with  it,  and  spoken 
at  haphazard  had  the  effect  of  causing  a  sudden  silence, 
and  the  interchange  of  questioning  looks  among  those 
who  heard  it,  and  who,  without  knowing  who  she  was,  or 
what  her  aims  in  life  really  were,  voted  her  "  dangerous." 
Those  among  the  superior  classes  wdio  had  by  rare  chance 
seen  her,  were  unanimous  in  their  verdict  that  she  was  not 
beautiful,  —  "  but !  "  —  and  the  "  but  "  spoke  volumes. 
She  was  known  to  possess  something  much  less  common, 
and  far  more  potent  than  beauty,  —  and  that  was  a  fas- 
cinating, compelling  spiritual  force,  which  magnetised 
into  strange  submission  all  who  came  within  its  influence, 
—  and  many  there  were  who  admitted,  though  with  bated 
breath  that  '  An'  if  she  chose  '  she  could  easily  become  a 
very  great  personage  indeed. 

17 


258  "Temporal  Power" 

She  herself  was,  or  seemed  to  be,  perfectly  unconscious 
of  the  many  discussions  concerning  her  and  her  origin. 
She  had  her  own  secret  sorrows,  -  -  her  sad  private  his- 
tory, which  she  shut  close  within  her  own  breast,  —  but 
out  of  many  griefs  and  poverty-stricken  days  of  struggle 
and  cruel  environment,  she  had  educated  herself  to  a 
wonderful  height  of  moral  self-control  and  almost  stoical 
rectitude.  Her  nature  was  a  broad  and  grand  one,  abso- 
lutely devoid  of  pettiness,  and  full  of  a  strong,  almost 
passionate  sympathy  with  the  wrongs  of  otbers,  —  and 
she  had  formed  herself  on  such  firm,  heroic  lines  of  cour- 
age and  truth  and  self-respect,  that  the  meaner  vices  of 
her  sex  were  absolutely  unknown  to  her.  Neither  vanity, 
nor  envy,  nor  malice,  nor  spleen  disturbed  the  calmly- 
flowing  current  of  her  blood,  —  her  soul  was  absorbed 
in  pity  for  human  kind,  and  contemplation  of  its  many 
woes,  —  and  so  living  alone,  and  studiously  apart  from 
the  more  frivolous  world,  she  had  attained  a  finely  tem- 
pered and  deeply  thoughtful  disposition  which  gave  her 
equally  the  courage  of  the  hero  and  the  resignation  of  the 
martyr.  She  had  long  put  away  out  of  her  life  all  possi- 
bility of  happiness  for  herself.  She  had,  by  her  unweary- 
ing study  of  the  masses  of  working,  suffering  men  and 
women,  come  to  the  sorrowful  conclusion  that  real  hap- 
piness could  only  be  enjoyed  by  the  extremely  young,  and 
the  extremely  thoughtless,  —  and  that  love  was  only  an- 
other name  for  the  selfish  and  often  cruel  and  destructive 
instincts  of  animal  desire.  She  did  not  resent  these  ugly 
facts,  or  passionately  proclaim  against  the  gloomy  results 
of  life  such  as  were  daily  displayed  to  her, — she  was  only 
filled  with  a  profound  and  ceaseless  compassion  for  the 
evils  which  were  impossible  to  cure.  Her  tireless  love 
for  the  sick,  the  feeble,  the  despairing,  the  broken-hearted 
and  the  dying,  had  raised  her  to  the  height  of  an  angel's 
quality  among  the  very  desperately  poor  and  criminal 
classes ;  —  the  fiercest  ruffians  of  the  slums  were  docile 
in  her  presence  and  obedient  to  her  command ;  —  and 
many  a  bold  plan  of  robberv,  —  many  a  wicked  scheme 
of  murder  had  been  altogether  foregone  and  abandoned 
through  the  intervention  of  Lotys,  whose  intellectual 
acumen,  swift  to  perceive  the  savage  instinct,  or  motive 
for  crime,  was  equally  swift  to  point  out  its  uselessness 


Of  the  Corruption  of  the  State     259 

as  a  means  of  satisfying-  vengeance.  No  preacher  could 
persuade  a  thief  of  the  practical  ingloriousness  of  thiev- 
ing, as  Lotys  could,  —  and  a  prison  chaplain,  remon- 
strating with  an  assassin  after  his  crime,  was  not  half  as 
much  use  to  the  State  as  Lotys,  who  could  induce  such  an 
one  to  resign  his  murderous  intent  altogether,  before  he 
had  so  much  as  possessed  himself  of  the  necessary 
weapon.  Thousands  of  people  were  absolutely  under  her 
moral  dominion,  —  and  the  power  she  exercised  over 
them  was  so  great,  and  yet  so  unobtrusive,  that  had  she 
bidden  the  whole  city  rise  in  revolt,  she  would  most  surely 
have  been  obeyed  by  the  larger  and  fiercer  half  of  its 
population. 

With  the  moneyed  classes  she  had  nothing  in  common, 
though  she  viewed  them  with  perhaps  more  pity  than  she 
did  the  very  poor.  An  overplus  of  cash  in  any  one  per- 
son's possession  that  had  not  been  rightfully  earned  by 
the  work  of  brain  or  body,  was  to  her  an  incongruity,  and 
a  defection  from  the  laws  of  the  universe ;  —  show  and 
ostentation  she  despised,  —  and  though  she  loved  beauti- 
ful things,  she  found  them,  —  as  she  herself  said,  — 
much  more  in  the  everyday  provisions  of  nature,  than  in 
the  elaborate  designs  of  art.  When  she  passed  the  gay 
shops  in  the  principal  thoroughfares  she  never  paused  to 
look  in  at  the  jewellers'  windows,  —  but  she  would  linger 
for  many  minutes  studying  the  beauty  of  the  sprays  of 
orchids  and  other  delicate  blossoms,  arranged  in  baskets 
and  vases  by  the  leading  florists ;  while,  —  best  delight 
of  all  to  her,  was  a  solitary  walk  inland  among  the  woods, 
where  she  could  gather  violets  and  narcissi,  and,  as  she 
expressed  it  '  feel  them  growing  about  her  feet.'  She 
would  have  been  an  extraordinary  personality  as  a  man, 
—  as  a  woman  she  was  doubly  remarkable,  for  to  a 
woman's  gentleness  she  added  a  force  of  will  and  brain 
which  are  not  often  found  even  in  the  stronger  sex. 

Mysterious  as  she  was  in  her  life  and  surroundings, 
enough  was  known  of  her  by  the  people  at  large,  to  bring 
a  goodly  concourse  of  them  to  the  Assembly  Rooms  on 
the  night  when  she  was  announced  to  speak  on  a  subject 
of  which  the  very  title  seemed  questionable,  namely, 
"  On  the  Corruption  of  the  State."  The  police  had  been 
notified  of  the  impending'  meeting,  and  a  few  stalwart 


260  "Temporal  Power" 

emissaries  of  the  law  in  plain  clothes  mixed  with  the  in- 
pouring  throng.  The  crowd,  however,  was  very  orderly ; 
—  there  was  no  pushing,  no  roughness,  and  no  coarse 
language.  All  the  members  of  Sergius  Thord's  Revolu- 
tionary Committee  were  present,  but  they  came  as  strag- 
glers, several  and  apart,  —  and  among  them  Paul  Zouche 
the  poet,  was  perhaps  the  most  noticeable.  He  had  af- 
fected the  picturesque  in  his  appearance ;  —  his  hat  was 
of  the  Rembrandt  character,  and  he  had  donned  a  very 
much  worn,  short  velveteen  jacket,  whose  dusty  brown 
was  relieved  by  the  vivid  touch  of  a  bright  red  tie.  His 
hair  was  wild  and  bushy,  and  his  eyes  sparkled  with  un- 
wonted brilliancy,  as  he  nodded  to  one  or  two  of  his  as- 
sociates, and  gave  a  careless  wave  of  the  hand  to  Sergius 
Thord,  who,  entering  slowly,  and  as  if  with  reluctance, 
took  a  seat  at  the  very  furthest  end  of  the  hall,  where  his 
massive  figure  showed  least  conspicuous  among  the  surg- 
ing throng.  Keeping  his  head  down  in  a  pensive  attitude 
of  thought,  his  eyes  were,  nevertheless,  sharp  to  see  every 
person  entering  who  belonged  to  his  own  particular  fol- 
lowing, —  and  a  ray  of  satisfaction  lighted  up  his  face, 
as  he  perceived  his  latest  new  associate,  Pasquin  Leroy, 
quietly  edge  his  way  through  the  crowd,  and  secure  a 
seat  in  one  of  the  obscurest  and  darkest  corners  of  the 
badly  lighted  hall.  He  was  followed  by  his  comrades, 
Max  Graub  and  Axel  Regor,  —  and  Thord  felt  a  warm 
glow  of  contentment  in  the  consciousness  that  these  lately 
enrolled  members  of  the  Revolutionary  Committee  were 
so  far  faithful  to  their  bond.  Signed  and  sealed  in  the 
blood  of  Lotys,  they  had  responded  to  the  magnetism  of 
her  name  with  the  prompt  obedience  of  waves  rising  to 
the  influence  of  the  moon,  —  and  Sergius,  full  of  a  thou- 
sand wild  schemes  for  the  regeneration  of  the  People,  was 
more  happy  to  know  them  as  subjects  to  her  power,  than 
as  adherents  to  his  own  cause.  He  was  calmly  cognisant 
of  the  presence  of  General  Bernhoff,  the  well-known 
Chief  of  Police ;  - —  though  he  was  rendered  a  trifle  un- 
easy by  observing  that  personage  had  seated  himself  as 
closely  as  possible  to  the  bench  occupied  by  Leroy  and  his 
companions.  A  faint  wonder  crossed  his  mind  as  to 
whether  the  three,  in  their  zeal  for  the  new  Cause  they 
had  taken  up,  had  by  any  means  laid  themselves  open  to 


Of  the  Corruption  of  the  State     261 

suspicion ;  but  he  was  not  a  man  given  to  fears ;  and  he 
felt  convinced  in  his  own  mind,  from  the  close  personal 
observation  he  had  taken  of  Leroy,  and  from  the  boldness 
of  his  speech  on  his  enrolment  as  a  member  of  the  Revo- 
lutionary Committee,  that,  whatever  else  he  might  prove 
to  be,  he  was  certainly  no  coward. 

The  hall  filled  quickly,  till  by  and  by  it  would  have  been 
impossible  to  find  standing  room  for  a  child.  A  student 
of  human  nature  is  never  long  in  finding  out  the  dominant 
characteristic  of  an  audience,  —  whether  its  attitude  be 
profane  or  reverent,  rowdy  or  attentive,  and  the  bearing 
of  the  four  or  five  thousand  here  assembled  was  remark- 
able chiefly  for  its  seriousness  and  evident  intensity  of 
purpose.  The  extreme  orderliness  of  the  manner  in  which 
the  people  found  and  took  their  seats,  —  the  entire  ab- 
sence of  all  fussy  movement,  fidgeting,  staring,  querulous 
changing  of  places,  whispering  or  laughter,  showed  that 
the  crowd  were  there  for  a  deeper  purpose  than  mere  curi- 
osity. The  bulk  of  the  assemblage  was  composed  of  men ; 
very  few  women  were  present,  and  these  few  were  all  of 
the  poor  and  hard-working  classes.  No  female  of  even 
the  lower  middle  ranks  of  life,  with  any  faint  pretence  to 
'  fashion,'  would  have  been  seen  listening  to  "  that  dread- 
ful woman," — as  Lotys  was  very  often  called  by  her  own 
sex,  —  simply  because  of  the  extraordinary  fascination  she 
secretly  exercised  over  men.  Pasquin  Leroy  and  his  com- 
panions spoke  now  and  then,  guardedly,  and  in  low  whis- 
pers, Concerning  the  appearance  and  demeanour  of  the 
crowd,  Max  Graub  being  particularly  struck  by  the  gen- 
eral physiognomy  and  type  of  the  people  present. 

"  Plenty  of  good  heads!  "  he  said  cautiously.  "  There 
are  thinkers  here  —  and  thinkers  are  a  very  dangerous 
class !  " 

"  There  are  man)-  people  who  '  think  '  all  their  lives  and 
'  do  '  nothing !  "  said  Axel  Regor  languidly. 

"  True,  my  friend !  But  their  thought  may  lead,  while, 
they  themselves  remain  passive,"  joined  in  Pasquin  Leroy 
sotto-voce ;  —  "It  is  not  at  all  impossible  that  if  Lotys 
bade  these  five  thousand  here  assembled  burn  down  the 
citadel,  it  would  be  done  before  daybreak !  " 

"  I  have  no  doubt  at  all  of  that,"  said  Graub.  "  One 
cannot  forget  that  the  Bastille  was  taken  while  the  poor 


262  "Temporal  Power" 

King  Louis  XVI.  was  enjoying  a  supper-party  and  '  a 
little  orange-flower-water  refreshment '  at  Versailles !  ' 

Leroy  made  an  imperative  sign  of  silence,  for  there 
was  a  faint  stir  and  subdued  hum  of  expectation  in  the 
crowd.  Another  moment,  —  and  Lotys  stepped  quietly 
and  alone  on  the  bare  platform.  As  she  confronted  her 
audience,  a  low  passionate  sound,  like  the  murmur  of  a 
rising  storm,  greeted  her,  —  a  sound  that  was  not  any- 
thing like  the  customary  applause  or  encouragement 
offered  to  a  public  speaker,  but  that  suggested  extraor- 
dinary satisfaction  and  expectancy,  which  almost  bordered 
on  exultation.  Pasquin  Leroy,  raising  his  eyes  as  she 
entered,  was  startled  by  an  altogether  new  impression  of 
her  to  that  which  he  had  received  on  the  night  he  first  saw 
her.  Her  personality  was  somehow  different  —  her  ap- 
pearance more  striking,  brilliant  and  commanding.  At- 
tired in  the  same  plain  garment  of  dead  white  serge  in 
which  he  had  previously  seen  her,  with  the  same  deep 
blood-red  scarf  crossing  her  left  shoulder  and  breast,  — 
there  was  something  to-night  in  this  mere  costume  that 
seemed  emblematic  of  a  far  deeper  power  than  he  had 
been  at  first  inclined  to  give  her.  A  curious  sensation  be- 
gan to  affect  his  nerves,  —  a  sudden  and  overwhelming 
attraction,  as  though  his  very  soul  were  being  drawn  out 
of  him  by  the  calm  irresistible  dominance  of  those  slum- 
brous dark-blue  iris-coloured  eyes,  which  had  the  merit  of 
appearing  neither  brilliant  nor  remarkable  as  eyes  merely, 
but  which  held  in  their  luminous  depths  that  intellectual 
command  which  represents  the  active  and  passionate  life 
of  the  brain,  beside  which  all  other  life  is  poor  and  colour- 
less. These  eyes  appeared  to  rest  upon  him  now  from 
under  their  drooping  sleepy  white  eyelids  with  an  inex- 
pressible tenderness  and  fascination,  and  he  was  suddenly 
reminded  of  Heinrich  Heine's  quaint  love-fancy  ;  "  Behind 
her  dreaming  eyelids  the  sun  has  gone  to  rest ;  when  she 
opens  her  eyes  it  will  be  day,  and  the  birds  will  be  heard 
singing !  "  He  began  to  realise  depths  in  his  own  nature 
which  he  had  till  now  been  almost  unconscious  of ;  he 
knew  himself  to  a  certain  extent,  but  by  no  means 
thoroughly ;  and  awakening  as  he  was  to  the  fact  that 
other  lives  around  him  presented  strange  riddles  for  con- 
sideration, he  wondered  whether  after  all,  his  own  life 


Of  the  Corruption  of  the  State     263 

might  not  perhaps  prove  one  of  the  most  complex  among 
human  conundrums?  He  had  often  meditated  on  the 
inaccessibility  of  ideal  virtues,  the  uselessness  of  persua- 
sion, the  commonplace  absurdity,  as  he  had  thought, 
of  trying  to  embody  any  lofty  spiritual  dream,  —  yet  he 
was  himself  a  man  in  whom  spiritual  forces  were  so  strong 
that  he  was  personally  unaware  of  their  overflow,  because 
they  were  as  much  a  part  of  him  as  his  breathing  capacity. 
True,  he  had  never  consciously  tested  them,  but  they 
were  existent  in  him  nevertheless. 

He  watched  Lotys  now,  with  an  irritable,  restless  atten- 
tion, —  there  was  a  thrill  of  vague  expectation  in  his  soul 
as  of  new  things  to  be  done,  —  changes  to  be  made  in  the 
complex  machinery  of  human  nature,  —  and  a  great 
wonder,  as  well  as  a  great  calm,  fell  upon  him  as  the  first 
clear  steady  tones  of  her  voice  chimed  through  the  deep 
hush  which  had  prepared  the  way  for  her  first  words. 
Her  voice  was  a  remarkable  one,  vibrant,  yet  gentle,  — 
ringing  out  forcefully,  yet  perfectly  sweet.  She  began 
very  simply,  —  without  any  attempt  at  a  majestic  choice 
of  words,  or  an  impressive  flow  of  oratory.  She  faced 
her  audience  quietly,  —  one  bare  rounded  arm  resting 
easily  on  a  small  uncovered  deal  table  in  front  of  her ;  — 
she  had  no  '  notes  '  but  her  words  were  plainly  the  result 
of  deliberate  and  careful  thinking-out  of  certain  problems 
needful  to  be  brought  before  the  notice  of  the  people. 
Her  face  was  colourless,  —  the  dead  gold  hair  rippling 
thickly  away  in  loose  clusters  from  the  white  brows,  fell 
into  their  accustomed  serpentine  twisted  knot  at  the  nape 
of  her  neck ;  and  the  scarlet  sash  she  wore,  alone  relieved 
the  statuesque  white  folds  of  her  draperies ;  but  as  she 
spoke,  something  altogether  superphysical  seemed  to  ex- 
hale from  her  as  heat  exhales  from  fire  —  a  strange 
essence  of  overpowering  and  compelling  sweetness  stole 
into  the  heavy  heated  air,  and  gave  to  the  commonplace 
surroundings  and  the  poorly  clothed  crowd  of  people  an 
atmosphere  of  sacredness  and  beauty.  This  influence 
deepened  steadily  under  the  rhythmic  cadence  of  her 
voice,  till  every  agitated  soul,  every  resentful  and  troubled 
heart  in  the  throng  was  conscious  of  a  sudden  ingathering 
of  force  and  calm,  of  self-respect  and  self-reliance.  The 
gist  of  her  intention  was  plainly  to  set  people  thinking  for 


264  "Temporal  Power' 

themselves,  and  in  this  there  could  be  no  manner  of 
doubt  but  that  she  succeeded.  Of  the  '  Corruption  of  the 
State  '  she  spoke  as  a  thing  thoroughly  recognised  by  the 
masses. 

"  We  know,  —  all  of  us."  —  she  said,  in  the  concluding 
portion  of  her  address,  "  that  we  have  Ministers  who  per- 
sonally care  nothing  for  the  prosperity  or  welfare  of  the 
country.  We  know  —  all  of  us,  —  that  we  have  a  bribed 
Press ;  whose  business  it  is  to  say  nothing  that  shall  run 
counter  to  Ministerial  views.  We  know,  —  all  of  us, — 
that  it  is  this  bribed  Ministerial  press  which  leads  the 
ignorant,  (who  are  not  behind  the  scenes,)  to  wrong  and 
false  conclusions ;  —  and  that  it  is  solely  upon  these 
wrong  and  false  conclusions  of  the  wilfully  misled  mil- 
lion, that  the  Ministry  itself  rests  for  support.  On  one 
side  the  Press  is  manipulated  by  the  Jews ;  on  the  other 
by  the  Jesuits.  There  is  no  journal  in  this  country  that 
will,  or  dare,  publish  the  true  reflex  of  popular  opinion. 
Therefore  the  word  '  free  '  cannot  be  applied  to  that  re- 
cording-force of  nations  which  we  call  Journalism  ;  inas- 
much as  it  is  now  a  merely  purchased  Chattle.  We  should 
remember,  when  we  read  'opinions  of  the  Press,'  —  on 
any  great  movement  or  important  change  in  policy,  that 
we  are  merely  accepting  the  opinions  of  the  bound  and 
paid  Slave  of  Capitalists ;  —  and  we  should  take  care  to 
form  our  judgment  for  ourselves,  rather  than  from  the 
Capitalist  point  of  view.  Were  there  a  strong  man  to 
lead,  —  the  shiftiness,  treachery,  and  deliberate  neglect 
practised  on  the  million  by  those  who  are  now  in  office, 
could  not  possibly  last ;  —  but  where  there  is  no  strength, 
there  must  be  weakness,  —  and  where  a  long  career  of 
deceit  has  been  followed,  instead  of  a  course  of  plain 
dealing,  failure  in  the  end  is  inevitable.  With  failure 
comes  disaster ;  and  often  something  which  augments 
disaster  —  Revolt.  The  people,  weary  of  constant  im- 
position,—  of  incessant  delays  of  the  justice  due  to  them, 
—  as  well  as  the  unscrupulous  breaking  of  promises 
solemnly  pledged,  —  will  —  in  the  long  run,  take  their 
own  way,  as  they  have  done  before  in  history,  of  securing 
instant  amelioration  of  those  wrongs  which  their  paid 
rulers  fail  to  redress.  Who  will  dare  to  say  that,  under 
such  circumstances,  it  is  ill  for  the  people  to  act  ?    Some- 


Of  the  Corruption  of  the  State     265 

times  it  is  a  greater  Consciousness  than  their  own  that 
moves  them  ;  and  the  wronged  and  half-forgotten  Cause 
of  all  worlds  makes  His  command  known  through  His 
creatures,  who  obey  His  impulse,  —  even  as  the  atoms 
gathering  in  space  cluster  at  His  will  into  solar  systems, 
and  bring  forth  their  burden  of  life!  " 

She  paused,  and  leaning  forward  a  little,  her  eyes 
poured  out  their  flashing  searchlight  as  it  seemed  into  the 
very  souls  of  her  hearers. 

"Dear  friends!  —  dear  children!*  she  said,  and  in 
her  tone  there  was  the  tenderness  of  a  great  compassion, 
almost  bordering  on  tears,  —  "  What  is  it,  think  you  all, 
that  makes  the  age  in  which  we  live  so  sad,  so  colourless, 
so  restless  and  devoid  of  hope  and  peace?  It  is  not  that 
we  are  the  inhabitants  of  a  less  wonderful  or  less  beautiful 
world,  —  it  is  not  as  if  the  sun  had  ceased  to  shine,  or  the 
birds  had  forgotten  how  to  sing!  Triumphs  of  science, — 
triumphs  of  learning  and  discovery,  these  are  all  on  the 
increase  for  our  help  and  furtherance.  With  so  much 
gain  in  evident  advancement,  what  is  it  we  have  lost?  — 
what  is  it  we  miss  ?  —  whence  come  the  dreariness  and 
emptiness  and  satiety,  —  the  intolerable  sense  of  the 
futility  of  life,  even  when  life  has  most  to  offer?  Dear 
children,  you  are  all  so  sad !  —  many  of  you  so  broken- 
hearted !  —  why  is  it  ?  —  how  is  it  ?  Poverty  alone  is 
not  the  cause,  —  for  it  is  quite  possible  to  be  poor,  yet 
happy !  True  enough  it  is  that  in  these  days  you  are 
ground  down  by  the  imposition  of  taxes,  which  try  all 
the  strength  of  your  earnings  to  pay  ;  but  even  this  is 
an  evil  you  could  mitigate  for  yourselves,  by  strong  and 
united  public  protest.  How  is  it  that  you  do  not  realise 
your  own  strength  ?  You  are  not  like  the  poor  brutes 
of  the  field  and  forest,  who  lack  the  reason  which  would 
show  them  how  superior  in  physical  force  alone  they  are 
to  the  insignificant  biped  who  commands  them.  Could 
the  ox  understand  his  own  strength,  he  would  never  be 
led  to  the  slaughter-house ;  —  he  and  his  kind  would 
become  a  terror  instead  of  a  provision.  You  are  not 
oxen,  —  yet  often  you  are  as  patient,  as  dull,  as  blind  and 
reasonless  as  they !  You  form  clubs,  societies,  and  trades- 
unions  ;  —  but  in  how  many  cases  do  you  not  enter  upon 
small  and  cpierulous  differences  which  so  weaken  your 


266  "Temporal  Power' 

unity  that  presently  it  falls  to  pieces  and  has  no  more 
power  in  it?  This  is  what  your  tyrants  in  trade  rely  on 
and  hope  for ;  the  constant  recurrence  of  quarrels  and 
dissensions  among  yourselves.  No  Society  lasts  which 
tolerates  conflicting  argument  or  differing  sentiments  in 
itself.  Why  is  it  that  the  Jesuits,  —  whom  you  are  all 
unanimous  in  hating,  —  are  still  the  strongest  political 
Brotherhood  on  the  face  of  the  earth?  Because  they  are 
bound  to  maintain  in  every  particular  the  tenets  of  their 
Order.  No  matter  how  vile,  or  how  reprehensibly  false 
their  theories,  they  are  compelled  to  carry  on  the  work 
and  propaganda  of  their  Union,  despite  all  loss  and  sacri- 
fice to  themselves.  This  is  the  secret  of  their  force. 
Expelled  from  one  land,  they  take  root  in  another.  Sup- 
pressed entirely  by  Pope  Clement  XIV.,  in  1773,  they 
virtually  ignored  suppression,  and  took  up  their  head- 
quarters in  Russia.  The  influence  they  exerted  there  still 
lies  on  the  serf  population,  like  one  of  the  many  chains 
fastened  to  a  Siberian  exile's  body.  Yet  they  were 
driven  from  Russia  in  1820,  —  from  Holland  in  1816,  — 
from  Switzerland  in  1847,  and  from  Germany  in  1872. 
Latterly  they  have  been  expelled  from  France.  Never- 
theless, in  spite  of  these  numerous  expulsions,  and  the 
universal  odium  in  which  they  are  held,  —  they  still  flour- 
ish; still  are  they  able  to  maintain  their  twenty-two 
generals  and  their  four  Vicars ;  —  and  still  all  countries 
have,  in  their  turn,  to  deal  with  their  impending  or  ful- 
filled invasion.  Why  is  it  that  a  Society  so  criminal  in 
historic  annals,  should  yet  remain  as  a  force  in  our  ad- 
vanced era  of  civilization?  Simply,  because  it  is  of  One 
Mind  !  Bent  on  evil,  or  good,  —  self-renunciation  or  self- 
aggrandisement,  —  it  is  still  of  One  Mind  !  Friends,  — 
were  you  like  them,  also  of  One  Mind,  your  injuries,  your 
oppressions,  your  taxations  would  not  last  long!  The 
remedy  for  all  is  easy,  and  rests  with  yourselves,  —  only 
yourselves !  But  some  of  you  have  lost  heart  —  and  other 
some  have  lost  patience.  You  look  round  upon  the 
squalid  corners  of  this  great  city  —  you  shudder  at  the 
cruelty  of  the  daily  life  with  which  you  have  to  contend, 
—  you  enter  poor  rooms,  which  you  are  compelled  to  call 
'  home,'  where  the  sick  and  dying,  the  newly-born  and 
the  dead  are  huddled  all  together,  —  ten,  and  sometimes 


Ot  the  Corruption  of  the  State     267 

fifteen  in  one  small  den  of  four  whitewashed  walls;  — 
and  sickened  and  tired,  you  cry  out  '  Is  life  worth  no 
more  than  this?  Is  God's  scheme  for  the  human  race  no 
more  than  this  ?  Then  why  were  we  born  at  all  ?  (  )r, 
being  born,  why  may  we  not  die  at  once,  self-slain?" 
Ah,  yes,  dear  friends !  —  you  often  feel  like  this ;  we  all 
of  us  often  feel  like  this !  But  —  it  is  not  God  who  has 
made  life  thus  hard  for  you,  —  it  is  yourselves!  It  is 
you  who  consent  to  be  down-trodden,  —  it  is  you  who 
resign  your  freewill,  your  thought,  your  originality  of 
character,  into  the  dominating  power  of  others.     True, 

—  wealth  controls  affairs  to  a  vast  extent  nowadays,  — 
but  there  is  a  stronger  power  than  wealth,  and  that  is 
Soul!  It  is  not  the  possession  of  gold  that  has  given  the 
greatest  men  their  position.  This  is  a  commercial  age, 
we  own,  —  and  certainly,  —  because  of  the  base  and  de- 
grading love  of  accumulation,  —  Intellectuality  is  for 
the  moment  often  set  aside  as  something  valueless  —  but 
whenever  Intellectuality  truly  asserts  itself,  there  is  at 
once  made  visible  an  acting  force  of  the  Divine,  which 
is  practically  limitless  and  irresistible.  Think  for  your- 
selves, friends!  —  do  not  let  a  hired  Press  think  for  you  ! 
Think  for  yourselves  —  judge  for  yourselves,  and  act  for 
yourselves !  By  your  observation  of  a  statesman's  life, 
you  shall  know  his  capabilities.  If  he  has  once  been  a 
turncoat,  he  will  be  a  turncoat  again.  If  he  has  been 
known  to  speculate  privately  in  a  forthcoming  political 
crisis,  which  he  alone  knows  of  in  advance " 

Here  the  speaker  was  interrupted  by  what  sounded 
more  like  a  snarl  than  a  shout.      '  Perousse !     Perousse !  " 

The  name  was  hissed  out,  and  tossed  from  one  rank  to 
another  of  the  audience,  and  one  or  two  of  the  police 
present  glanced  enquiringly  towards  Bernhoff  their  chief, 

—  but  he  sat  with  folded  arms  and  inscrutable  de- 
meanour, making  no  sign.  Lotys  raised  her  small,  beau- 
tifully-shaped white  hand  to  enjoin  silence.  She  was 
obeyed  instantly. 

'  I  speak  of  no  one  man,"  she  said  with  deliberate  em- 
phasis ;  "  I  accuse  no  one  man,  —  or  any  man  !  I  say 
'  if  '  any  man  gambles  with  State  policy,  he  is  a  traitor  to 
the  country !  But  such  gambling  is  not  a  novelty  in  the 
history  of  nations.     It  has  been  practised  over  and  over 


268  "Temporal  Power'* 

again.  Only  ,mark  you  all  this  one  God's  truth !  —  that 
whenever  it  has  occurred  —  whenever  the  rulers  of  a 
State  arc  corrupt,  - —  whenever  society  sinks  into  such 
moral  defilement  that  it  sees  nothing  better,  nothing- 
higher  than  the  love  of  money,  —  then  comes  the  down- 
fall !  —  then  Ruin   and  Anarchy  set  up  their  dominion, 

—  and  Heaven's  rage  rolls  out  upon  the  offenders,  till 
their  offence  be  cleansed  away  in  rivers  of  blood  and 
tears !  " 

She  waited  a  moment,  —  and  changing  her  attitude, 
seemed  as  it  were,  to  project  her  thought  into  her  audi- 
ence, by  the  sudden  passion  of  her  commanding  gesture, 
and  the  flash  of  her  deep  luminous  eyes. 

'  We  have  heard  of  the  Great  Renunciation !  "  she 
said ;  '  How  God  Himself  took  human  form,  and  came 
to  this  low  little  earth  to  prove  how  nobly  we  should  live 
and  die!  But  in  our  day,' — we  with  our  preachers  and 
teachers,  our  press  and  our  parliamentary  orators,  —  our 
atheistical  statesmen  on  all  hands,  have  come  upon  the 
Great  Obliteration !  —  the  Obliteration  of  God  altogether 
in  our  ways  of  life !  We  push  Him  out,  as  if  He  were  not. 
He  is  not  in  our  Churches  —  He  is  not  in  our  Laws  — 
He  is  not  in  our  Commerce.  Only  when  we  are  brought 
low  by  pain  and  sickness  —  when  we  are  confronted  by 
death  itself  —  then  we  call  out  'God!  God!'  like 
cowards,  praying  for  help  from  the  Power  we  have 
negatived  all  our  lives!     Here  is  the  evil,  O  children  all! 

—  we  have  forgotten  Our  Father !  We  arrange  all  our 
affairs  in  life  without  giving  Him  a  thought !  Our  pleas- 
ures, our  gains,  our  advantages,  —  are  calculated  without 
consulting  His  good  pleasure.     He  is  last,  or  not  at  all, 

—  when  He  should  be  first,  and  in  everything !  The  end 
of  this  is  misery; --it  must  be  so;  it  cannot  by  law  be 
anything  else.  For  what  is  God  ?  Who  is  God  ?  God  is 
a  name  merely, --but  we  give  it  to  that  Unseen,  but 
ever  working  Force  which  rules  the  Universe!  The  cold- 
est atheist  that  ever  breathed  must  own  that  somehow, 

—  by  some  means  or  other,  —  the  Universe  is  ruled,  — 
for  if  it  were  not,  we  should  know  nothing  of  it.  There- 
fore, when  we  set  aside,  or  leave  out  the  consciousness 
and  acknowledgment  of  the  Ruler,  the  ruling  of  our 
affairs  must,  of  necessity,  go  wrong! 


Of  the  Corruption  of  the  State     269 

'  I  cannot  preach  to  you — I  cannot  out  of  my  own  con- 
science recommend  to  you  one  or  the  other  form  of  faith 
as  the  way  to  peace  and  wisdom;  —  but  I  can  and  do  he- 
seech  you  to  remember  the  Note  Dominant  of  this  great 
Universe  —  the  Note  that  sounds  through  high  and  low, 

—  through  small  and  great  alike!  —  and  that  must  and 
will  in  due  course  absorb  all  our  discords  into  Everlasting 
Harmony !  Try  not  to  put  this  fact  out  of  your  lives,  — 
that  Justice  and  Order  are  the  rule  of  the  spheres ;  and 
that  whenever  we  depart  from  these,  even  in  the  smallest 
contingency,  confusion  reigns.  How  hard  it  is  to  believe 
in  Justice  and  Order,  you  will,  tell  me,  —  when  the  poor 
are  not  treated  with  the  same  consideration  as  the  rich,  — 
and  when  money  will  buy  place  and  position !  True!  It 
is  hard  to  believe,  —  but  it  is  believable  nevertheless.  As 
the  lungs  and  the  heart  are  the  life  of  the  human  body, 
so  are  Justice  and  Order  the  life  of  the  Universe,  —  and 
when  these  are  pushed  out  of  place,  or  become  diseased 
in  the  composition  of  a  human  state  or  community,  then 
the  life  of  that  state  or  community  is  threatened;  —  and 
unless  remedies  are  quickly  to  hand,  it  must  end.  You  all 
know  the  position  of  things  among  yourselves  to-day ;  — 
you  all  know  that  there  is  no  trust  to  be  placed  in 
Churches,  Kings  or  Parliaments ;  —  that  the  world  is  in 
a  state  of  ferment  and  unrest,  —  moving  towards  Change ; 

—  change  imminent  —  change,  possibly,  disastrous  !  And 
if  it  is  You  who  know,  it  is  likewise  You  who  must  seize 
the  hour  as  it  approaches !  —  seize  it  as  you  would  seize 
a  robber  by  the  throat,  and  demand  its  business  ;  —  search 
its  heart ;  —  deprive  it  of  its  weapons  ;  —  and  learn  from 
it  its  message  !  A  message  it  may  be  of  wild  alarm  —  of 
tearing  up  old  conventions ;  —  of  thrusting  forth  old 
abuses ;  a  message  full  of  clamour  and  outcry  —  but 
whatever  the  uproar,  doubt  not  that  we  shall  hear  the  voice 
of  the  Forgotten  God  thundering  in  our  ears  at  the  close ! 
We  shall  have  found  our  way  closer  to  Him  —  and  with 
penitence  and  prayer,  we  shall  ask  to  be  forgiven  for 
having  wandered  away  from  Him  so  long! 

"  And  will  He  not  pardon  ?  Yes,  —  He  will,  because 
He  must !  To  Him  we  owe  our  existence  ;  —  He  alone  is 
responsible  for  our  life,  our  probation,  our  progress,  our 
striving  through  many  errors  towards  Perfection!     He, 


270  "Temporal  Power' 

who  sees  all,  must  needs  have  pity  for  His  creature  Man ! 
Out  of  the  evolutions  of  a  blind  Time,  He  has  made  the 
poor  weak  human  being,  who  in  the  first  days  of  his 
sojourn  on  earth  had  neither  covering  nor  home.  Less 
protected  than  the  beasts  of  the  forest,  he  found  himself 
compelled  to  Think !  —  to  think  out  his  own  means  of 
shelter,  —  to  contrive  his  own  weapons  of  defence. 
Slowly,  and  by  painful  degrees,  from  Savagery  he  has 
emerged  to  Civilization ;  —  wherefore  it  is  evident  that 
his  Maker  meant  Thought  to  be  his  first  principle,  and 
Action  his  second.    He  who  does  not  work,  shall  not  eat ; 

—  he  who  does  not  use  all  his  faculties  for  improvement, 
shall  by  and  by  have  none  to  use.  Injustice  and  corrup- 
tion are  amongst  us,  merely  because  we  ourselves  have 
failed  to  resist  their  first  inroads.  Who  is  it  that  com- 
plains of  wrong?     Let  him  hasten  to  his  own  amending, 

—  and  he  will  find  a  thousand  hands,  a  thousand  hearts 
ready  to  work  with  him !  All  Nature  is  on  the  side  of 
health  in  the  body,  as  of  health  in  the  State.  All  Nature 
fights  against  disease,  —  physical  and  moral.  Therefore 
do  not,  —  dear  friends  and  children  !  —  sit  idle  and  pas- 
sive, submitting  yourselves  to  be  deceived,  as  if  you 
had  no  force  to  withstand  deception !  Show  that  you  hate 
lies,  and  will  have  none  of  them,  —  show  that  you  will 
not  be  imposed  upon  —  and  decline  to  be  led  or  governed 
by  party  agents,  who  persuade  you  to  your  own  and 
your  country's  destruction !  The  voice  of  the  People  can 
no  longer  be  heard  in  a  purchased  Press ;  —  let  it  echo 
forth  then,  in  stronger  form  than  ephemeral  print,  which 
to-day  is  glanced  at,  and  to-morrow  is  forgotten ;  — 
wherever  and  whenever  you  are  given  the  chance  to 
meet,  and  to  speak,  let  your  authority  as  the  workers,  the 
ratepayers,  and  supporters  of  the  State  be  heard ;  and  do 
not  You,  without  whom  even  the  King  could  not  keep 
his  throne,  consent  to  be  set  aside  as  the  Unvalued  Ma- 
jority !  Prove,  by  your  own  firm  attitude  that  without 
You,  nothing  can  be  done !  It  is  time,  oh  people  of  my 
heart !  —  it  is  time  you  spoke  clearly !  God  is  moving 
His  thought  through  your  souls  —  God  stirs  in  you  the 
fear,  the  discontent,  the  suspicion  that  all  is  not  well  with 
your  country ;  —  and  it  is  the  Spirit  of  God  which  breathes 
in  the  warning  note  of  the  time  — 


Of  the  Corruption  of  the  State     271 

"  '  I  Tark  to  the  voice  of  the  time  ! 

The  multitude  think  for  themselves, 

And  weigh  their  condition  each  one; 

The  drudge  has  a  spirit  sublime, 

And  whether  he  hammers  or  delves, 

He  icads  when  his  labour  is  clone  ; 

And  learns,  though  he  groan  under  poverty's  ban, 

That  freedom  to  Think,  is  the  birthright  of  man  1 ' 

"Learn,"  she  continued,  --  as  a  low  deep  murmur  of 
agreement  ran  through  the  room ;  '  Learn  to  what 
strange  uses  ( iod  puts  even  such  men  of  this  world,  whose 
sole  existence  has  been  for  the  cause  of  amassing  money! 
They  have  acted  as  the  merest  machines,  gathering  in 
the  millions  ;  —  gathering,  gathering  them  in  !  For  what 
purpose  ?  Lo,  they  are  smitten  down  in  the  prime  of  their 
lives,  and  the  gold  they  have  piled  up  is  at  once  scattered ! 
Much  of  it  becomes  used  for  educational  purposes ;  — 
and  some  of  these  dead  millionaires  have,  as  it  were 
thrown  Education  at  the  heads  of  the  people,  and  almost 
pauperised  it.  Far  away  in  Great  Britain,  a  millionaire 
has  recently  made  the  Seottish  University  education  'free' 
to  all  students,  —  instead  of,  as  it  used  to  be,  hard  to  get, 
and  well  worth  working  to  win.  Now,  —  through  the 
wealth  of  one  man,  it  is  turned  into  a  pauper's  allowance ; 

—  like  offering  the  smallest  silver  coin  to  a  reduced 
gentleman.  The  pride, --the  skill,  —  the  self-renunci- 
ation, —  the  strong  determination  to  succeed,  which  form 
fine  character,  and  which  taught  the  struggling  student 
to  win  his  own  University  education,  are  all  wiped  out ; 

—  there  is  no  longer  any  necessity  for  the  practice  of 
these  manly  and  self-sustaining  virtues.  The  harm  that 
will  be  done  is  probably  not  yet  perceivable ;  but  it  will 
be  incalculable.  Education,  turned  into  a  kind  of  pauper's 
monopoly,  will  have  widely  different  results  to  those  just 
now  imagined!  But  with  all  the  contemptuous  throwing 
out  of  the  unneeded  kitchen-waste  o,f  millionaires,  —  still 
Education  is  the  thing  to  take  at  any  price,  and  under  any 
circumstances  ;  —  because  it  alone  is  capable  of  giving 
power !  It  alone  will  '  put  down  the  mighty  from  their 
seats,  and  exalt  the  humble  and  the  meek.'  It  alone  will 
give  us  the  force  to  fight  our  taskmasters  with  their  own 
weapons,  and  to  place  them  where  they  should  be,  co- 
equal with  us,  but  not  superior,  —  considerate  of  us,  but 


272  "Temporal  Power" 

not  commanding-  us,  —  and  above  all  things,  bound  to 
make  their  records  of  such  work  as  they  do  for  the  State 

—  clean !  " 

A  hurricane  of  applause  interrupted  her,  —  she  waited 
till  it  subsided,  then  went  on  quietly. 

'  There  should  be  no  scheming  in  the  dark ;  no  secret 
contracts  for  which  we  have  to  pay  blindly ;  —  no  refusal 
to  explain  the  way  in  which  the  people's  hard-earned 
money  is  spent ;  and  before  foreign  urbanities  and  diplo- 
macies and  concessions  are  allowed  to  take  up  time  in  the 
Senate,  it  is  necessary  that  the  frightful  and  abounding 
evils  of  our  own  land,  —  our  own  homes,  —  be  consid- 
ered. For  this  we  purpose  to  demand  redress,  —  and  not 
only  to  demand  it,  but  to  obtain  it !  Ministers  may  refuse 
to  hear  us ;  but  the  Country's  claims  are  greater  than  any 
Ministry  !  A  King's  displeasure  may  cause  court-parasites 
to  tremble  ■ —  but  a  People's  Honour  is  more  to  be  guarded 
than  a  thousand  thrones  !  " 

As  she  concluded  with  these  words,  she  seemed  to  grow 
taller,  nobler,  more  inspired  and  commanding,  —  and 
while  the  applause  was  yet  shaking  the  rafters  of  the  hall, 
she  left  the  platform.  Shouts  of  "  Lotys !  Lotys !  "  rang 
out  again  and  again  with  passionate  bursts  of  cheering, 

—  and  in  response  to  it  she  came  back,  and  by  a  slight 
gesture  commanded  silence. 

"Dear  friends,  I  thank  you  all  for  listening  to  me!  " 
she  said  simply,  her  rich  voice  trembling  a  little ;  "  I 
speak  only  with  a  woman's  impulse  and  unwisdom  —  just 
as  I  think  and  feel  —  and  always  out  of  my  great  love 
for  you !     As  you  all  know,  I  have  no  interests  to  serve ; 

—  I  am  only  Lotys,  your  own  poor  friend,  —  one  who 
works  with  you,  and  dwells  among  you,  seeing  and  shar- 
ing your  hard  lives,  and  wishing  with  all  my  heart  that 
I  could  help  you  to  be  happier  and  freer!  My  life  is  at 
your  service,  —  my  love  for  you  is  all  too  great  for  any 
words  to  express,  —  and  my  gratitude  for  your  faith  and 
trust  in  me  forms  my  daily  thanksgiving !  Now,  dear 
children  all,  —  for  you  are  truly  as  children  in  your  pa- 
tience, submission  and  obedience  to  bitter  destiny !  —  I 
will  ask  you  to  disperse  quietly  without  noise  or  confu- 
sion, or  any  trouble  that  may  give  to  the  paid  men  of  law 
ungrateful  work  to  do ;  —  and  in  your  homes,  think  of 


Of  the  Corruption  of  the  State     273 

me!  —  remember  my  words!  —  and  while  you  maintain 
order  by  the  steadiness  and  reasonableness  of  your  diffi- 
cult lives,  still  avoid  and  resent  that  slavish  obedience  to 
the  yoke  fastened  upon  you  by  capitalists,  —  who  have 
no  other  comfort  to  offer  you  in  poverty  than  the  work- 
house;  and  no  other  remedy  for  the  sins  into  which  you 
are  thrust  by  their  neglect,  than  the  prison!  Take,  and 
keep  the  rights  of  your  humanity!  —  the  right  to  think, 
—  the  right  to  speak,  —  the  right  to  know  what  is  being 
done  with  the  money  you  patiently  earn  for  others ;  - 
and  work,  all  together  in  unity.  Put  aside  all  petty  dif- 
ferences,—  all  small  rancours  and  jealousies;  and  even 
as  a  Ministry  may  unite  to  defraud  and  deceive  you,  so 
do  you,  the  People,  unite  to  expose  the  fraud,  and  reject 
the  deception  !  There  is  no  voice  so  resonant  and  con- 
vincing as  the  voice  of  the  public  ;  there  is  no  power  on 
earth  more  strong  or  more  irresistible  than  the  power  of 
the  People !  " 

She  stood  for  one  moment  more,  —  silent ;  her  eyes 
brilliant,  her  face  beautiful  with  inspired  thought,  — 
then  with  a  quiet,  half-deprecatory  gesture,  in  response 
to  the  fresh  outbreak  of  passionate  cheering,  she  re- 
tired from  the  platform.  Pasquin  Leroy,  whose  eyes 
had  been  riveted  on  her  from  the  first  to  the  last 
word  of  her  oration,  now  started  as  from  a  dream, 
and  rose  up  half-unconsciously,  passing  his  hand  across 
his  brow,  as  though  to  exorcise  some  magnetic  spell 
that  had  crept  over  his  brain.  His  face  was  flushed,  his 
pulses  were  throbbing  quickly.  His  companions,  Max 
Graub  and  Axel  Regor,  looked  at  him  inquisitively. 
The  audience  was  beginning  to  file  out  of  the  hall  in  or- 
derly groups. 

"  What  next?  "  said  Graub;   "  Shall  we  go?  " 

"  I  suppose  so,"  said  Leroy,  with  a  quick  sigh,  and 
forcing  a  smile ;  "  But  —  I  should  have  liked  to  speak 
with  her " 

At  that  moment  his  shoulder  was  touched  by  a  man  he 
recognised  as  Johan  Zegota.  He  gave  the  sign  of  the 
Revolutionary  Committee  bond,  to  which  Leroy  and  his 
comrades  responded. 

"Will  you  all  three  come  over  the  way?"  whis- 
pered Zegota  cautiously ;     '  We  are  entertaining  Lotys 

18 


274  "Temporal  Power' 

to  supper  at  the  inn  opposite,  —  the  landlord  is  one  of 
us.  Thord  saw  you  sitting  here,  and  sent  me  to  ask  you 
to  join  us." 

"  With  pleasure,"  assented  Leroy ;  '  We  will  come  at 
once !  " 

Zegota  nodded  and  disappeared. 

"  So  you  will  see  the  end  of  this  escapade!  "  said  Max 
Graub,  a  trifle  crossly.  "  It  would  have  been  much  better 
to  go  home  !  " 

"  You  have  enjoyed  escapades  in  your  time,  have 
you  not,  my  friend?  Some  even  quite  recently?"  re- 
turned Leroy  gaily.  "  One  or  two  more  will  not  hurt 
you !  " 

They  edged  their  way  out  among  the  quietly  moving 
crowd,  and  happening  to  push  past  General  Bernhoff, 
that  personage  gave  an  almost  imperceptible  salute,  which 
Leroy  as  imperceptibly  returned.  It  was  clear  that  the 
Chief  of  Police  was  acquainted  with  Pasquin  Leroy,  the 
'  spy  '  on  whose  track  he  had  been  sent  by  Carl  Perousse, 
and  moreover,  that  he  was  evidently  in  no  hurry  to  arrest 
him.  At  any  rate  he  allowed  him  to  pass  with  his  friends 
unmolested,  out  of  the  People's  Assembly  Rooms,  and 
though  he  followed  him  across  the  road,  '  shadowing 
him.'  as  it  were,  into  a  large  tavern,  whose  lighted  win- 
dows betokened  some  entertainment  within,  he  did  not 
enter  the  hostelry  himself,  but  contented  his  immediate 
humour  by  walking  past  it  to  a  considerable  distance  off, 
and  then  slowly  back  again.  By  and  by  Max  Graub  came 
out  and  beckoned  to  him,  and  after  a  little  earnest  con- 
versation Bernhoff  walked  off  altogether,  the  ring  of  his 
martial  heels  echoing  for  some  time  along  the  pavement, 
even  after  he  had  disappeared.  And  from  within  the 
lighted  tavern  came  the  sound  of  a  deep,  harmonious, 
swinging  chorus  — 

"  Way,  make  way!  —  for  our  banner  is  unfurled, 

Let  each  man  stand  by  his  neighbour! 
The  thunder  of  our  footsteps  shall  roll  through  the  world, 
In  the  March  of  the  Men  of  Labour  !  " 


"Yes!"    said   Max   Graub,   pausing  to   listen   ere   re- 
entering the  tavern  —  "If  —  and  it  is  a  great  'if  —  if 


Of  the  Corruption  of  the  State     275 

every  man  will  stand  by  his  neighbour,  the  thunder  will 
be  very  loud,  —  and  by  all  the  deities  that  ever  lived  in 
the  Heaven  blue,  it  is  a  thunder  that  is  likely  to  last  some 
time !  The  possibility  of  standing  by  one's  neighbour  is 
the  only  doubtful  point !  " 


CHAPTER    XX 

THE   SCORN    OF    KINGS 

INSIDE  the  tavern,  from  whence  the  singing  pro- 
ceeded, there  was  a  strange  scene,  —  somewhat  dis- 
orderly yet  picturesque.  Lotys,  seated  at  the  head  of  a 
long  supper-table,  had  been  crowned  by  her  admirers  with 
a  wreath  of  laurels,  —  and  as  she  sat  more  or  less  silent, 
with  a  rather  weary  expression  on  her  face,  she  looked 
like  the  impersonation  of  a  Daphne,  exhausted  by  the 
speed  of  her  flight  from  pursuing  Apollo.  Beside  her, 
nestling  close  against  her  caressingly,  was  a  little  girl 
with  great  black  Spanish  eyes,  —  eyes  full  of  an  appeal- 
ing, half-frightened  wistfulness,  like  those  of  a  hunted 
animal.  Lotys  kept  one  arm  round  the  child,  and  every 
now  and  again  spoke  to  her  some  little  caressing  word. 
All  the  rest  of  the  guests  at  the  supper-board  were  men, 
—  and  all  of  them  members  of  the  Revolutionary  Com- 
mittee. When  Pasquin  Leroy  and  his  friends  entered, 
there  was  a  general  clapping  of  hands,  and  the  pale 
countenance  of  Lotys  flushed  a  delicate  rose-red,  as  she 
extended  her  hand  to  each. 

"  You  begin  your  career  with  us  very  well !  "  she  said 
gently,  her  eyes  resting  musingly  on  Leroy  ;  "  I  had  not 
expected  to  see  you  to-night !  " 

"  Madame,  I  had  never  heard  you  speak,"  he  an- 
swered  ;  and  as  he  addressed  her,  he  pressed  her  hand 
with  unconscious  fervour,  while  his  eloquent  eyes  dilated 
and  darkened,  as,  moved  by  some  complex  emotion,  she 
quickly  withdrew  her  slender  fingers  from  his  clasp. 
"  And  I  felt  I  should  never  know  you  truly  as  you  are, 
till  I  saw  you  face  the  people.     Now " 

He  paused.  She  looked  at  him  wonderingly,  and  her 
heart  began  to  beat  with  a  strange  quick  thrill.  It  is  not 
alwavs  easv  to  see  the  'outlines  of  a  soul's  development, 


The  Scorn  of  Kings  277 

or  the  inchoate  formation  of  a  great  love,  —  and  though 
everything  in  a  certain  sense  moved  her  and  appealed  to 
her  that  was  outside  herself,  it  was  difficult  to  her  to  be- 
lieve or  to  admit  that  she,  in  her  own  person,  might  be  the 
cause  of  an  entirely  new  set  of  thoughts  and  emotions  in 
the  mind  of  one  man.  Seeing  he  was  silent,  she  repeated 
softly  and  with  a  half  smile. 

"  '  Now  '  ? " 

"  Now,"  continued  Leroy  quickly,  and  in  a  half-whis- 
per;  "I  do  know  you  partly,  —  but  I  must  know  you 
more !     You  will  give  me  the  chance  to  do  that  ? ' 

His  look  said  more  than  his  words,  and  her  face  grew 
paler  than  before.  She  turned  from  him  to  the  child  at 
her  side  — 

"  Pequita,  are  you  very  tired?" 

"No!"  was  the  reply,  given  brightly,  and  with  an 
upward  glance  of  the  dark  eyes. 

"  That  is  right !  Pasquin  Leroy  my  friend !  this  is 
Pequita,  —  the  child  we  told  you  of  the  other  night,  the 
only  daughter  of  Sholto.  She  will  dance  for  us  presently, 
will  you  not,  my  little  one?  " 

"  Yes,  indeed!  "  and  the  young  face  lighted  up  swiftly 
at  the  suggestion ;  while  Leroy,  taking  the  seat  indicated 
to  him  at  the  supper-table,  experienced  a  tumult  of  ex- 
traordinary sensations,  —  the  chief  one  of  which  was,  that 
he  felt  himself  to  have  been  '  snubbed,'  very  quietly  but 
effectually,  by  a  woman  who  had  succeeded,  though  he 
knew  not  how,  in  suddenly  awakening  in  him  a  violent 
fever  of  excitement,  to  which  he  was  at  present  unable 
to  give  a  name.  Rallying  himself,  however,  he  glanced 
up  and  down  the  board  smilingly,  lifting  his  glass  to 
salute  Sergius  Thord,  who  responded  from  his  place 
at  the  bottom  of  the  table,  —  and  very  soon  he  regained 
his  usual  placidity,  for  he  had  enormous  strength  of  will, 
and  kept  an  almost  despotic  tyranny  over  his  feelings. 
His  companions,  Max  Graub  and  Axel  Regor,  were 
separated  from  him,  and  from  each  other,  at  different 
sides  of  the  table,  and  Paul  Zouche  the  poet,  was  almost 
immediately  opposite  to  him.  He  was  glad  to  see  that  he 
was  next  but  one  to  Lotys  —  the  man  between  them  being 
a  desperado-looking  fellow  with  a  fierce  moustache,  and 
exceedingly  gentle  eyes,  —  who,  as  he  afterwards  discov- 


278  "Temporal  Power' 

ered,  was  one  of  the  greatest  violinists  in  the  world,  — 
the  favourite  of  kings  and  Courts,  —  and  yet  for  all  that, 
a  prominent  member  of  the  Revolutionary  Committee. 
The  supper,  which  was  of  a  simple,  almost  frugal  char- 
acter, was  soon  served,  and  the  landlord,  in  setting  the 
first  plate  before  Lotys,  laid  beside  it  a  knot  of  deep  crim- 
son roses,  as  an  offering  of  homage  and  obedience  from 
himself.  She  thanked  him  with  a  smile  and  glance,  and 
taking  up  the  flowers,  fastened  them  at  her  breast.  Con- 
versation now  became  animated  and  general ;  and  one  of 
the  men  present,  a  delicate-looking  young  fellow,  with  a 
head  resembling  somewhat  that  of  Keats,  started  a  dis- 
cussion by  saying  suddenly  — 

"  Jost  has  sold  out  all  his  shares  in  that  new  mine  that 
was  started  the  other  day.  It  looks  as  if  he  did  not  think, 
after  all  his  newspaper  puffs,  that  the  thing  was  going 
to  work." 

"  If  Jost  has  sold,  Perousse  will,"  said  his  neighbour; 
"  The  two  are  concerned  together  in  the  floating  of  the 
whole  business." 

"  And  yet  another  piece  of  news !  "  put  in  Paul  Zouche 
suddenly;  '  For  if  we  talk  of  stocks  and  shares,  we 
talk  of  money !  What  think  you,  my  friends !  I,  Paul 
Zouche,  have  been  offered  payment  for  my  poems !  This 
very  afternoon!  Imagine!  Will  not  the  spheres  fall? 
A  poet  to  be  paid  for  his  poems  is  as  though  one  should 
offer  the  Creator  a  pecuniary  consideration  for  creating 
the  flowers !  " 

His  face  was  flushed,  and  his  eyes  deliriously  bright. 

"  Listen,  my  Sergius  !  "  he  said  ;  '  Wonders  never 
cease  in  this  world ;  but  this  is  the  most  wonderful  of  all 
wonders !  Out  of  the  merest  mischief  and  monkeyish 
malice,  the  other  day  I  sent  my  latest  book  of  poems  to 
the  Kins: " 


*&> 


"  Shame !  shame !  '  interrupted  a  dozen  voices. 
"Against  the  rules,  Paul!     You  have  broken  the  bond!" 

Paul  Zouche  laughed  loudly. 

"  How  you  yell,  my  baboons!  "  he  cried;  '  How  you 
screech  about  the  rules  of  your  lair !  Wait  till  you  hear ! 
You  surely  do  not  suppose  I  sent  the  book  out  of  any 
humility  or  loyalty,  or  desire  for  notice,  do  you  ?  I  sent 
it  out  of  pure  hate  and  scorn,  to  show  him  as  a  fool- 


The  Scorn  of  Kings  279 

Majesty,  that  there  was  something  he  could  not  do  — 
something  that  should  last  when  he  was  forgotten ! --a 
few  burning  lines  that  should,  like  vitriol,  eat  into  his 
Throne  and  outlast  it !  I  sent  it  some  days  ago,  and  got 
an  acknowledgment  from  the  flunkey  who  writes  Maj- 
esty's letters.  But  this  afternoon  I  received  a  much  more 
important  document,  —  a  letter  from  Eugene  Silvano, 
secretary  to  our  very  honourable  and  trustworthy  Pre- 
mier! He  informs  me  in  set  terms,  that  his  Majesty  the 
King  has  been  pleased  to  appreciate  my  work  as  a  poet, 
to  the  extent  of  offering  me  a  hundred  golden  pieces  a 
year  for  the  term  of  my  natural  life  !  Ha-ha  !  A  hundred 
golden  pieces  a  year!  And  thus  they  would  fasten  this 
wild  bird  of  Revolutionary  song  to  a  Royal  cage,  for  a 
bit  of  sugar !  A  hundred  golden  pieces  a  year !  It  means 
food  and  lodging  —  warm  blankets  to  sleep  in  —  but  it 
means  something  else,  —  loss  of  independence!' 

"Then  you  will  not  accept  it?"  said  Pasquin  Leroy, 
looking  at  him  with  interest  over  the  rim  of  the  glass 
from  which  he  was  just  sipping  his  wine. 

"  Accept  it !  I  have  already  refused  it !  By  swift  re- 
turn of  post !  " 

Shouts  of  "  Bravo !  bravo !  "  echoed  around  him  on  all 
sides ;  men  sprang  up  and  shook  hands  with  him  and 
patted  him  on  the  back,  and  even  over  the  dark  face  of 
Sergius  Thord  there  passed  a  bright  illumining  smile. 

"  Zouche,  with  all  thy  faults,  thou  art  a  brave  man !  " 
said  the  young  man  with  the  Keats-like  head,  who  was 
in  reality  confidential  clerk  to  one  of  "the  largest  stock- 
brokers in  the  metropolis ;  '  A  thousand  times  better  to 
starve,  than  to  accept  Royal  alms  !  " 

"To  your  health,  Zouche!"  said  Lotys,  leaning  for- 
ward, glass  in  hand.  'Your  refusal  of  the  King's  offered 
bounty  is  a  greater  tragedy  than  any  you  have  ever  tried 
to  write !  " 

'  Hear  her !  "  cried  Zouche,  exultant ;  "  She  knows 
exactly  how  to  put  it !  For  look  you,  there  are  the  true 
elements  of  tragedv  in  a  worn  coat  and  scant  food,  while 
the  thoughts  that  help  nations  to  live  or  die  are  burning 
in  one's  brain!  Then  comes  a  King  with  a  handful  of 
gold  --and  gold  would  be  useful  —  it  always  is  !  But  — 
by  Heaven !  to  pay  a  poet  for  his  poems  is,  as  I  said  be- 


280  "Temporal  Power" 

fore,  as  if  one  were  to  meet  the  Deity  on  His  way  through 
space,  scattering  planets  and  solar  systems  at  a  touch, 
and  then  to  say  —  '  Well  done,  God !  We  shall  remuner- 
ate You  for  your  creative  power  as  long  as  You  shall  last 

—  so  much  per  aeon  !  '  " 
Leroy  laughed. 

1  You  wild  soul!  "  he  said;  "  Would  you  starve  then, 
rather  than  accept  a  king's  bounty  ?  " 

'  I  would !  "  answered  Paul.  "  Look  you,  my  brave 
Pasquin!  Read  back  over  all  the  centuries,  and' see  the 
way  in  which  these  puppets  we  call  kings  have  rewarded 
the  greatest  thinkers  of  their  times!  Is  it  anywhere  re- 
corded that  the  antique  virgin,  Elizabeth  of  England, 
ever  did  anything  for  Shakespeare?  True  —  he  might 
have  been  '  graciously  permitted  '  to  act  one  of  his  sub- 
lime tragedies  before  her  —  by  Heaven  !  —  she  was  only 
fit  to  be  his  scrubbing  woman,  by  intellectual  comparison ! 
Kings  and  Queens  have  always  trembled  in  their  shoes, 
and  on  their  thrones,  before  the  might  of  the  pen !  —  and 
it  is  natural  therefore  that  they  should  ignore  it  as  much 
as  conveniently  possible.  A  general,  whose  military  tac- 
tics succeed  in  killing  a  hundred  thousand  innocent  men 
receives  a  peerage  and  a  hundred  thousand  a  year,  —  a 
speculator  who  snatches  territory  and  turns  it  into  stock- 
jobbing material,  is  called  an  '  Empire  Builder  ' ;  but  the 
man  whose  Thought  destroys  or  moulds  a  new  World, 
and  raises  up  a  new  Civilization,  is  considered  beneath  a 
crowned  Majesty's  consideration  !    'Beneath,'  by  Heaven  ! 

—  I,  Paul  Zouche,  may  yet  mount  behind  Majesty's  chair, 
and  with  a  single  rhyme  send  his  crown  spinning  into 
space !  Meanwhile,  I  have  flung  back  his  hundred  golden 
pieces,  with  as  much  force  in  the  edge  of  my  pen  as  there 
would  be  in  my  hand  if  you  were  his  Majesty  sitting 
there,  and  I  flung  them  across  the  table  now!  " 

Again  Leroy  laughed.  His  eyes  flashed,  but  there  was 
a  certain  regret  and  wistfulness  in  them. 

'You  approve,  of  course?"  he  said,  turning  to  Ser- 
gius  Thord. 

Sergius  looked  for  a  moment  at  Zouche  with  an  infi- 
nitely grave  and  kindly  compassion. 

'  I  think  Paul  has  acted  bravely ;  "  he  then  said  slowly ; 
"  He    has    been    true    to    the    principles    of    our    Order. 


The  Scorn  of  Kings  281 

And  under  the  circumstances,   it   must  have  been   diffi- 
cult for  him  to  refuse  what  would  have  been  a  certain 

competence, " 

'Not    difficult,    Sergius!'1    exclaimed    Zouche,    "But 
purely  triumphant !  " 

Thord  smiled, — then  went  on — "You  see,  my  friend," 
and  he  addressed  himself  now  to  Leroy ;  "  Kings  have 
scorned  the  power  of  the  pen  too  long !  Those  who  pos- 
sess that  power  are  now  taking  vengeance  for  neglect. 
Thousands  of  pens  all  over  the  world  to-day  are  digging 
the  grave  of  Royalty,  and  building  up  the  throne  of 
Democracy.  Who  is  to  blame?  Royalty  itself  is  to 
blame,  for  deliberately  passing  over  the  claims  of  art  and 
intellect,  and  giving  preference  to  the  claims  of  money. 
The  moneyed  man  is  ever  the  friend  of  Majesty,  —  but 
the  brilliant  man  of  letters  is  left  out  in  the  cold.  Yet  it 
is  the  man  of  letters  who  chronicles  the  age,  and  who 
will  do  so,  we  may  be  sure,  according  to  his  own 
experience.  As  the  King  treats  the  essayist,  the  roman- 
cist  or  the  historian,  so  will  these  recording  scribes  treat 
the  King!  " 

'  It  is  possible,  though,"  suggested  Leroy,  "  that  the 
King  meant  well  in  his  offer  to  our  friend  Zouche?  " 

"Quite  possible!'  agreed  Thord;  "Only  his  offer 
of  one  hundred  gold  pieces  a  year  to  a  man  of  in- 
tellect, is  out  of  all  proportion  to  the  salary  he  pays  his 
cook !  " 

A  slight  flush  reddened  Leroy's  bronzed  cheek.  Thord 
observed  him  attentively,  and  saw  that  his  soul  was  ab- 
sorbed by  some  deep-seated  intellectual  irritation.  He 
began  to  feel  strangely  drawn  towards  him ;  his  eyes 
questioned  the  secret  which  he  appeared  to  hold  in  his 
mind,  but  the  quiet  composure  of  the  man's  handsome 
face  baffled  enquiry.  Meanwhile  around  the  table  the 
conversation  grew  louder  and  less  restrained.  The  young 
stockbroker's  clerk  was  holding  forth  eloquently  concern- 
ing the  many  occasions  on  which  he  had  seen  Carl  Pe- 
rousse  at  his  employer's  office,  carefully  going  into  the 
closest  questions  of  financial  losses  or  gains  likely  to  re- 
sult from  certain  political  moves,  —  and  he  remembered 
one  day  in  particular,  when,  after  purchasing  a  hundred 
thousand    shares    in    a    certain    company,    Perousse    had 


282  "Temporal  Power' 

turned  suddenly  round  on  his  broker  with  the  cool  re- 
mark—  "  If  ever  you  breathe  a  whisper  about  this  trans- 
action, I  will  shoot  you  dead!  " 

Whereat  the  broker  had  replied  that  it  was  not  his  cus- 
tom to  give  away  his  clients'  business,  and  that  threats 
were  unworthy  of  a  statesman.  Then  Perousse  had  be- 
come as  friendly  as  he  had  been  before  menacing ;  and 
the  two  had  gone  out  of  the  office  and  lunched  together. 
And  the  confidential  clerk  thus  chattering  his  news,  de- 
clared that  his  employer  was  now  evidently  uneasy ;  and 
that  from  that  uneasiness  he  augured  a  sudden  fluctuation 
or  fall  in  what  had  lately  seemed  the  most  valuable  stock 
in  the  market. 

"And  you?  Your  news,  Yaldor,"  cried  one  or  two 
eager  voices,  while  several  heads  leaned  forward  in  the 
direction  of  the  fiercely-moustached  man  who  sat  next  to 
Lotys.  "  Where  have  you  been  with  your  fiddle  ?  Do 
you  arrive  among  us  to-night  infected  by  the  pay,  or  the 
purple  of  Royalty?" 

Louis  Valdor,  by  birth  a  Norseman,  and  by  sympathies 
a  cosmopolitan,  looked  up  with  a  satiric  smile  in  his  dark 
eyes. 

"  There  is  no  purple  left  to  infect  a  man  with,  in  the 
modern  slum  of  Royalty  !  "  he  said  ;  '  Tobacco-smoke, 
not  incense,  perfumes  the  palaces  of  the  great  nowadays 
—  and  card-playing  is  more  appreciated  than  music ! 
Yet  I  and  my  fiddle  have  made  many  long  journeys 
lately,  —  and  we  have  sent  our  messages  of  Heaven 
thrilling  through  the  callous  horrors  of  Hell !  A  few 
nights  since,  I  played  at  the  Russian  Court  —  before  the 
beautiful  Empress  —  cold  as  a  stone  —  with  her  great 
diamonds  flashing  on  her  unhappy  breast,  —  before  the 
Emperor,  whose  furtive  eyes  gazed  unseeingly  before 
him,  as  though  black  Fate  hovered  in  the  air  —  before 
women,  whose  lives  are  steeped  in  the  lowest  intrigue  — 
before  men,  whose  faces  are  as  bearded  masks,  covering 
the  wolf's  snarl, — yes!  —  I  played  before  these, — played 
with  all  the  chords  of  my  heart  vibrating  to  the  violin, 
till  at  last  a  human  sigh  quivered  from  the  lips  of  the 
statuesque  Empress,  —  till  a  frown  crossed  the  brooding 
brow  of  her  spouse  —  till  the  intriguing  women  shook  off 
the  spell  with  a  laugh,  and  the  men  did  the  same  with  an 


The  Scorn  of  Kings  283 

oath  —  and  I  was  satisfied  !  I  received  neither  '  pay,'  nor 
jewel  of  recognition,  —  I  had  played  '  for  the  honour  '  of 
appearing  before  their  Majesties!  —  but  my  bow  was  a 
wand  to  wake  the  little  poisoned  asp  of  despair  that  stings 
its  way  into  the  heart  under  every  Royal  mantle  of  er- 
mine, and  that  sufficed  me !  " 

'  Sometimes,"  said  Leroy,  turning  towards  him  ;  '  I 
pity  kings ! 

'  I' faith,  so  do  I !  "  returned  Valdor.  "But  only  some- 
times !  And  if  you  had  seen  as  much  of  them  as  I  have, 
the  '  sometimes  '  would  be  rare !  " 

'  Yet  you  play  before  them?  "  put  in  Max  Graub. 

"  Because  I  must  do  so  to  satisfy  the  impresarios  who 
advertise  me  to  the  public,"  said  Valdor.  "  Alas  !  —  why 
will  the  public  be  so  foolish  as  to  wish  their  favourite 
artist  to  play  before  kings  and  queens?  Seldom,  if  ever, 
do  these  Royal  people  understand  music,  —  still  less  do 
they  understand  the  musician !  Believe  me,  I  have  been 
treated  as  the  veriest  scullion  by  these  jacks-in-office ;  and 
that  I  still  permit  myself  to  play  before  them  is  a  duty  I 
owe  to  this  Brotherhood, --because  it  deepens  and  sus- 
tains my  bond  with  you  all.  There  is  no  king  on  the  face 
of  the  earth  who  has  dignity  and  nobleness  of  character 
enough  to  command  my  respect,  —  much  less  my  rever- 
ence !  I  take  nothing  from  kings,  remember !  —  they  dare 
not  offer  me  money  —  they  dare  not  insult  me  with  a 
jewelled  pin,  such  as  they  would  give  to  a  station-master 
who  sees  a  Royal  train  off.  Only  the  other  day,  when  I 
was  summoned  to  play  before  a  certain  Majesty,  a  lord- 
in-waiting  addressed  me  when  I  arrived  with  the  insolent 
words  —  '  You  are  late,  Monsieur  Valdor !  —  You  have 
kept  the  King  waiting!  '  1  replied  — '  Is  that  so?  I  re- 
gret it!  But  having  kept  his  Majesty  waiting,  I  will  no 
longer  detain  him  :  an  revoir !  '  And  I  returned  straight- 
way to  the  carriage  in  which  I  had  come.  Majesty  did 
without  his  music  that  evening,  owing  to  the  insolence  of 
his  flunkey-man !  Whether  I  ever  play  before  him  again 
or  not,  is  absolutely  immaterial  to  me!  " 

"  Tell  me,"  said  Pasquin  Leroy,  pushing  the  flask  of 
wine  over  to  him  as  he  spoke ;  '  What  is  it  that  makes 
kings  so  unloved  ?  I  hate  them  myself !  —  but  let  us 
analyse  the  reasons  why." 


284  "Temporal  Power' 

'  Discuss  —  discuss  !  "  cried  Paul  Zouche  ;  '  Why  are 
kings  hated  ?    Let  Thord  answer  first !  " 

"  Yes  —  yes  !  Let  Thord  answer  first !  "  was  echoed  a 
dozen  times. 

Thord,  thus  appealed  to,  looked  up.  His  melancholy 
deep  eyes  were  sombre,  yet  full  of  fire,  —  lonely  eyes  they 
were,  yearning  for  love. 

"  Why  are  kings  hated?"  he  repeated;  '  Because  to- 
day they  are  the  effete  representatives  of  an  effete  system. 
I  can  quite  imagine  that  if,  as  in  olden  times,  kings  had 
maintained  a  position  of  personal  bravery,  and  personal 
influence  on  their  subjects,  they  would  have  been  as  much 
beloved  as  they  are  now  despised.  But  what  we  have  to 
see  and  to  recognise  is  this :  in  one  land  we  hear  of  a  sov- 
ereign who  speculates  hand-and-glove  with  low-born  Jew 
contractors  and  tradesmen,  —  another  monarch  makes  no 
secret  of  his  desire  to  profit  financially  out  of  a  gam- 
bling hell  started  in  his  dominions,  —  another  makes  his 
domestic  affairs  the  subject  of  newspaper  comment, — 
another  is  always  apostrophising  the  Almighty  in  public ; 

—  another  is  insane  or  stupid,  - —  and  so  on  through  the 
whole  gamut.  Is  it  not  natural  that  an  intelligent  People 
should  resent  the  fact  that  their  visibly  governing  head  is 
a  gambler,  or  a  voluptuary  ?  Myself,  I  think  the  growing 
unpopularity  of  kings  is  the  result  of  their  incapability 
for  kingship." 

"Now  let  me  speak!"  cried  Paul  Zouche  excitedly; 
"  There  is  another  root  to  the  matter,  —  a  root  like  that 
of  a  certain  tropical  orchid,  which  according  to  supersti- 
tion, is  shaped  like  a  man,  and  utters  a  shriek  when  it  is 
pulled  out  of  the  earth !    Pull  out  this  screaming  mystery, 

—  hatred  of  kings !  In  the  first  place  it  is  because  they 
are  hateful  in  themselves,  —  because  they  have  been 
brought  up  and  educated  to  take  an  immeasurable  and 
all-absorbing  interest  in  their  own  identity,  rather  than 
in  the  lives,  hopes  and  aims  of  their  subjects.  In  the 
second  —  as  soon  as  they  occupy  thrones,  they  become 
overbearing  to  their  best  friends.  It  is  a  well-known  fact 
that  the  more  loyal  and  faithful  you  are  to  a  king,  the 
more  completely  is  he  neglectful  of  you !  '  Put  not  your 
trust  in  princes,'  sang  old  David.  He  knew  how  untrust- 
worthy they  were,  being  a  king  himself,  and  a  pious  one 


The  Scorn  of  Kings  285 

to  boot !  Thirdly  and  lastly,  —  they  only  give  their  own 
personal  attention  to  their  concubines,  and  leave  all  their 
honest  and  respectable  subjects  to  be  dealt  with  by  ser- 
vants and  secretaries.  Our  King,  for  example,  never 
smiles  so  graciously  as  on  Madame  Vantine,  the  wife  of 
Vantine  the  wine-grower ; — and  he  buys  Vantine's  wines 
as  well  as  his  wife,  which  brings  in  a  double  profit  to  the 
firm !  ' ' 

Leroy  looked  up. 

"  Are  you  sure  of  that  ?  " 

Zouche  met  his  eyes  with  a  stare  and  a  laugh. 

"  Sure?  Of  course  I  am  sure!  By  my  faith,  your  re- 
semblance to  his  Majesty  is  somewhat  striking  to-night, 
my  bold  Leroy !  The  same  straight  brows  —  the  same 
inscrutable,  woman-conquering  smile !  I  studied  his  por- 
trait after  the  offer  of  the  hundred  golden  pieces  —  and  I 
swear  you  might  be  his  twin  brother!  " 

"  I  told  you  so!  "  replied  Leroy  imperturbably ;  —  "  It 
is  a  hateful  resemblance !  I  wish  I  could  rid  myself  of  it. 
Still  after  all,  there  is  something  unique  in  being  counte- 
nanced like  a  King,  and  minded  as  a  Socialist!  " 

'  True !  "  put  in  Thord  gently  ;  —  "I  am  satisfied,  Pas- 
quin  Leroy,  that  you  are  an  honest  comrade!  ' 

Leroy  met  his  eyes  with  a  grave  smile,  and  touched  his 
glass  by  way  of  acknowledgment. 

"  You  do  not  ask  me,"  he  said  then,  "  whether  I  have 
been  able  to  serve  your  Cause  in  any  way  since  last  we 
met?  " 

"  This  is  not  our  regular  meeting,"  said  Johan  Zegota ; 
"  We  ask  no  questions  till  the  general  monthly  assembly." 
'  I  see !  "  And  Leroy  looked  whimsically  meditative 
—  "  Still,  as  we  are  all  friends  and  brothers  here,  there  is 
no  harm  in  conveying  to  you  the  fact  that  I  have  so  far 
moved  in  the  appointed  way,  that  Carl  Perousse  has 
ordered  the  discovery  and  arrest  of  one  Pasquin  Leroy, 
supposed  to  be  a  spy  on  the  military  defences  of  the 
city !  " 

Lotys  gave  a  little  cry. 

"  Not  possible !     So  soon  !  " 

"  Quite  possible,  Madame,"  said  Leroy  inclining  his 
head  towards  her  deferentially.  '  I  have  lost  no  time  in 
doing  my  duty !  "     And  his  eyes  flashed  upon  her  with  a 


286  "Temporal  Power" 

passionate,   half-eager  questioning.      '  I   must  carry  out 
my  Chief's  commands  !  " 

"  But  you  are  in  danger,  then?"  said  Sergius  Thord, 
bending  an  anxious  look  of  enquiry  upon  him. 

"  Not  more  so  than  you,  or  any  of  my  comrades  are," 
replied  Leroy  ;  ' '  I  have  commenced  my  campaign  —  and 
I  have  no  doubt  you  will  hear  some  results  of  it  ere 
long !  " 

He  spoke  so  quietly  and  firmly,  yet  with  such  an 
air  of  assurance  and  authority,  that  something  of  an 
electric  thrill  passed  through  the  entire  company,  and 
all  eyes  were  fixed  on  him  in  mingled  admiration  and 
wonderment. 

"  Of  the  '  Corruption  of  the  State,'  concerning  which 
our  fair  teacher  has  spoken  to-night,"  he  continued,  with 
another  quick  glance  at  Lotys  —  "  there  can  be  no  man- 
ner of  doubt.  But  we  should,  I  think,  say  the  '  Corrup- 
tion of  the  Ministry  '  rather  than  of  the  State.  It  is  not 
because  a  few  stock-jobbers  rule  the  Press  and  the  Cabi- 
net, that  the  State  is  necessarily  corrupt.  Remove  the 
corrupters,  —  sweep  the  dirt  from  the  house  —  and  the 
State  will  be  clean." 

"  It  will  require  a  very  long  broom ! "  said  Paul  Zouche. 
'  Take  David  Jost,  for  example,  —  he  is  the  fat  Jew- 
spider  of  several  newspaper  webs.  —  and  to  sweep  him 
out  is  not  so  easy.  His  printed  sheets  are  read  by  the 
million  ;  and  the  million  are  deluded  into  believing  him  a 
reliable  authority!  " 

"  Nothing  so  easy  as  to  prove  him  unreliable,"  said 
Leroy  composedly  ;    "  And  then " 

"  Then  the  million  will  continue  to  read  his  journals 
out  of  sheer  curiosity,  to  see  how  long  a  liar  can  go  on 
lying !  "  said  Zouche ;  —  "  Besides  a  Jew  can  turn  his  coat 
a  dozen  times  a  day ;  he  has  inherited  Joseph's  '  coat  of 
many  colours  '  to  suit  many  opinions.  At  present  Jost 
supports  Perousse,  and  calls  him  the  greatest  statesman 
living;  but  if  Perousse  were  once  proved  a  fraud,  Jost 
would  pen  a  sublimely-conscientious  leading  article,  be- 
ginning in  this  strain  ;  —  '  We  are  now  at  liberty  to  con- 
fess that  we  always  had  our  doubts  of  M.  Perousse !  ' 

A  murmur  of  angry  laughter  went  round  the  board. 

'  There  was  an  article  this  evening  in  one  of  Jost's  off- 


The  Scorn  of  Kings  287 

shoot  journals,"  went  on  Zouche,  "  which  must  have  been 
paid  for  at  a  considerable  cost.  It  chanted  the  praises  of 
one  Monsignor  Del  Fortis,  —  who,  it  appears,  preached 
a  sermon  on  '  National  Education  '  the  other  day,  and 
told  all  the  sleepy,  yawning  people  how  necessary  it  was 
to  have  Roman  Catholic  schools  in  every  town  and  vil- 
lage, in  order  that  souls  might  be  saved.  The  article 
ended  by  saying  —  'We  hear  on  good  authority  that 
his  Majesty  the  King  has  been  pleased  to  grant  a  con- 
siderable portion  of  certain  Crown  lands  to  the  Jesuit 
Order,  for  the  necessary  building  of  a  monastery  and 
schools  ' " 

'  That  is  a  lie!  "  broke  in  Pasquin  Leroy,  with  sudden 
vehemence.  '  The  King  is  in  many  respects  a  scoundrel, 
but  he  does  not  go  back  on  his  word!  " 

Axel  Regor  looked  fixedly  across  at  him,  with  a  warn- 
ing flash  in  the  light  of  his  cold  languid  eyes. 

"  But  how  do  you  know  that  the  King  has  given  his 
word  ?  " 

'  It  was  in  the  paper,"  said  Leroy,  more  guardedly ; 
'  I  was  reading  about  it,  as  you  know,  on  the  very  night 
I  encountered  Thord." 

"  Ah !  But  you  must  recollect,  my  friend,  that  a  state- 
ment in  the  papers  is  never  true  nowadays !  "  said  Max 
Graub,  with  a  laugh  ;  "  Whenever  I  read  anything  in  the 
newspaper,  unless  it  is  an  official  telegram,  I  know  it  is 
a  lie ;  and  even  official  telegrams  have  been  known  to 
emanate  from  unofficial  sources!" 

By  this  time  supper  was  nearly  over,  and  the  landlord, 
clearing  the  remains  of  the  heavier  fare,  set  fruit  and 
wine  on  the  board.  Sergius  Thord  filled  his  glass,  and 
made  a  sign  to  his  companions  to  do  the  same.  Then  he 
stood  up. 

'  To  Lotys !  "  he  said,  his  fine  eyes  darkening  with  the 
passion  of  his  thought.  '  To  Lotys,  who  inspires  our 
best  work,  and  helps  us  to  retain  our  noblest  ideals!  '' 

All  present  sprang  to  their  feet. 

"  To  Lotys  !  " 

Pasquin  Leroy  fixed  a  straight  glance  on  the  subject 
of  the  toast,  sitting  quietly  at  the  head  of  the  table. 

"  To  Lotys !  "  he  repeated  ;  '  And  may  she  always  be 
as  merciful  as  she  is  strong !  '' 


1 J 


288  "Temporal  Power 

She  lifted  her  dark-blue  slumbrous  eyes,  and  met  his 
keen  scrutinizing  look.  A  very  slight  tremulous  smile 
flickered  across  her  lips.  She  inclined  her  head  gently, 
and  in  the  same  mute  fashion  thanked  them  all. 

"  Play  to  us,  Valdor !  "  she  then  sai'd ;  "  And  so  make 
answer  for  me  to  our  friends'  good  wishes !  " 

Valdor  dived  under  the  table,  and  brought  up  his  violin 
case,  which  he  unlocked  with  jealous  tenderness,  lifting 
his  instrument  as  carefully  as  though  it  were  a  sleeping 
child  whom  he  feared  to  wake.  Drawing  the  bow  across 
the  strings,  he  invoked  a  sweet  plaintive  sound,  like  the 
first  sigh  of  the  wind  among  the  trees;  then,  without 
further  preliminary  wandered  off  into  a  strange  labyrinth 
of  melody,  wherein  it  seemed  that  the  voices  of  women 
.and  angels  clamoured  one  against  the  other,  —  the  ap- 
peals of  earth  with  the  refusals  of  Heaven,  —  the  loneli- 
ness of  life  with  the  fulness  of  immortality,  —  so,  rising, 
falling,  sobbing,  praying,  alternately,  the  music  expostu- 
lated with  humanity  in  its  throbbing  chords,  till  it  seemed 
as  if  some  Divine  interposition  could  alone  end  the  heart- 
searching  argument.  Every  man  sat  motionless  and 
mute,  listening ;  Paul  Zouche,  with  his  head  thrown  back 
and  eyes  closed  as  in  a  dream,  —  Johan  Zegota's  hard, 
plain  and  careworn  face  growing  softer  and  quieter  in 
its  expression,  —  while  Sergius  Thord,  leaning  on  one 
elbow,  covered  his  brow  with  one  hand  to  shade  the  lines 
of  sorrow  there. 

When  Valdor  ceased  playing,  there  was  a  burst  of 
applause. 

"You  play  before  kings,  —  kings  should  be  proud  to 
hear  you !  "  said  Leroy. 

"  Ah  !  So  they  should,"  responded  Valdor  promptly ; 
"  Only  it  happens  that  they  are  not !  They  treat  me 
merely  as  a  laquais  de  place,  —  just  as  they  would  treat 
Zouche,  had  he  accepted  his  Sovereign's  offer.  But  this 
I  will  admit,  —  that  mediocre  musicians  always  get  on 
very  well  with  Royal  persons !  I  have  heard  a  very  great 
Majesty  indeed  praise  a  common  little  American  woman's 
abominable  singing,  as  though  she  were  a  prima-donna, 
and  saw  him  give  a  jewelled  cigar-case  to  an  amateur 
pianist,  whose  ringers  rattled  on  the  keyboard  like  bones 
on  a  tom-tom.     But  then  the  common   little  American 


The  Scorn  of  Kings         289 

woman  invited  his  Majesty's  'cheres  amies'  to  her  house; 
and  the  amateur  pianist  was  content  to  lose  money  to 
him  at  cards!  Wheels  within  wheels,  my  friend!  In  a 
lesser  degree  the  stock-jobber  who  sets  a  little  extra  cash 
rolling  on  the  Exchange  is  called  an  '  Empire  Builder.' 
It  is  a  curious  world !  But  kings  were  never  known  to 
be  '  proud  '  of  any  really  '  great  '  men  in  either  art  or  lit- 
erature ;  on  the  contrary,  they  were  always  afraid  of 
them,  and  always  will  be !  Among  musicians,  the  only 
one  who  ever  got  decently  honoured  by  a  monarch  was 
Richard  Wagner,  —  and  the  world  swears  that  his  Royal 
patron  was  mad  !  " 

Paul  Zouche  opened  his  eyes,  filled  his  glass  afresh, 
and  tossed  down  the  liquor  it  contained  at  a  gulp. 

"  Before  we  have  any  more  music,"  he  said,  "  and  be- 
fore the  little  Pequita  gives  us  the  dance  which  she  has 
promised,  —  not  to  us,  but  to  Lotys  —  we  ought  to  have 
prayers !  " 

A  loud  laugh  answered  this  strange  proposition. 

"  I  say  we  ought  to  have  prayers !  "  repeated  Zouche 
with  semi-solemn  earnestness,  —  "  Yovi  talk  of  news, — 
news  in  telegram,  —  news  in  brief,  —  official  scratchings 
for  the  day  and  hour,  —  and  do  you  take  no  thought 
for  the  fact  that  his  Holiness  the  Pope  is  ill  —  perhaps 
dying?  " 

He  stared  wildly  round  upon  them  all ;  and  a  tolerant 
smile  passed  over  the  face  of  the  company. 

"  Well,  if  that  be  so,  Paul,"  said  a  man  next  to  him, 
"  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at.  The  Pope  has  arrived  at  a 
e^reat  aee !  " 

'  No.  age  at  all !  —  no  age  at  all !  "  declared  Zouche. 
"  A  saint  of  God  should  live  longer  than  a  pauper !  What 
of  the  good  old  lady  admitted  to  hospital  the  other  day 
whose  birth  certificate  proved  her  beyond  doubt  to  be 
one  hundred  and  twenty-one  years  old?  The  dear  creat- 
ure had  not  married ;  —  nor  has  his  Holiness  the  Pope, 
—  the  real  cause  of  death  is  in  neither  of  them !  Why 
should  he  not  live  as  long  as  his  aged  sister,  possessing, 
as  he  does  the  keys  of  Heaven  ?  He  need  not  unlock  the 
little  golden  door,  even  for  himself,  unless  he  likes.  That 
is  true  orthodoxy !  Pasquin  Leroy,  you  bold  imitation  of 
a  king,  more  wine!  " 

19 


290  "Temporal  Power 


>? 


Leroy  filled  the  glass  he  held  out  to  him.  The  glances 
of  the  company  told  him  Zouche  was  'on,'  and  that  it  was 
no  good  trying  to  stem  the  flow  of  his  ideas,  or  check  the 
inconsequential  nature  of  his  speech.  Lotys  had  moved 
her  chair  a  little  back  from  the  table,  and  with  both  arms 
encircling  the  child,  Pequita,  was  talking  to  her  in  low 
and  tender  tones. 

'  Brethren,  let  us  pray!  "  cried  Zouche;  '  For  all  we 
know,  while  we  sit  here  carousing  and  drinking  to  the 
health  of  our  incomparable  Lotys,  the  soul  of  St.  Peter's 
successor  may  be  careering  through  Sphere- Forests,  and 
over  Planet-Oceans,  up  to  its  own  specially  built  and  par- 
ticularly furnished  Heaven !  There  is  only  one  Heaven, 
as  we  all  know, — and  the  space  is  limited,  as  it  only  holds 
the  followers  of  St.  Peter,  the  good  disciple  who  denied 
Christ!" 

'  That  is  an  exploded  creed,  Zouche,"  said  Thord 
quietly ;  '  No  man  of  any  sense  or  reason  believes  such 
childish  nonsense  nowadays !  The  most  casual  student 
of  astronomy  knows  better." 

''  Astronomy  !  Fie,  for  shame !  "  And  Zouche  gave  a 
mock-solemn  shake  of  the  head;  "  A  wicked  science!  A 
great  heresy!  What  are  God's  Facts  to  the  Church  Fal- 
lacies ?  Science  proves  that  there  are  millions  and  mil- 
lions of  solar  systems,  —  millions  and  millions  of  worlds, 
no  doubt  inhabited ;  —  yet  the  Church  teaches  that  there 
is  only  one  Heaven,  specially  reserved  for  good  Roman 
Catholics ;  and  that  St.  Peter  and  his  successors  keep  the 
keys  of  it.  God,  —  the  Deity  —  the  Creator,  —  the  Su- 
preme Being,  has  evidently  nothing  at  all  to  do  with  it. 
In  fact,  He  is  probably  outside  it!-  And  of  a  surety 
Christ,  with  His  ideas  of  honesty  and  equality,  could 
never  possibly  get  into  it !  " 

'  There  you  are  right !  "  said  Valdor ;  '  Your  words 
remind  me  of  a  conversation  I  overheard  once  between 
a  great  writer  of  books  and  a  certain  Prince  of  the  blood 
Royal.  '  Life  is  a  difficult  problem !  '  said  the  Prince, 
smoking  a  fat  cigar.  '  To  the  student,  it  is,  Sir,'  replied 
the  author ;  '  But  to  the  sensualist,  it  is  no  more  than  the 
mud-stye  of  the  swine,  —  he  noses  the  refuse  and  is 
happy!  FTe  has  no  need  of  the  Higher  life,  and.  plainly 
the  I  [igher  life  has  no  need  of  him.    Of  course,"  he  added 


The  Scorn  of  Kings  291 

with  covert  satire,  'your  Highness  helieves  in  a  Higher 
life?'  'Of  course,  of  course!'  responded  the  Royal 
creature,  unconscious  of  any  veiled  sarcasm  ;  '  We  must 
be  Christians  before  anything !  '  And  that  same  evening 
this  hypocritical  Highness  '  rooked  '  a  foolish  young  fel- 
low of  over  one  thousand  English  pounds!  " 

"  Perfectly  natural!  "  said  Zouche.  The  fashionable 
estimate  of  Christianity  is  to  go  to  church  o'  Sundays,  and 
say  '  I  believe  in  God,'  and  to  cheat  at  cards  on  all  the 
other  days  of  the  week,  as  active  testimony  to  a  stronger 
faith  in  the  devil !  " 

"  And  with  it  all,  Zouche,"  said  Lotys  suddenly ; 
"  There  is  more  good  in  humanity  than  is  apparent." 

"  And  more  bad,  beloved  Lotys,"  returned  Paul. 
"  Tout  le  deux  se  disent !  But  let  us  think  of  the  Holy 
Father !  —  he  who,  after  long  years  of  patient  and  sub- 
lime credulity,  is  now,  for  all  we  know,  bracing  himself 
to  take  the  inevitable  plunge  into  the  dark  waters  of 
Eternity !  Poor  frail  old  man !  Who  would  not  pity 
him !  His  earthly  home  has  been  so  small  and  cosy  and 
restricted,  —  he  has  been  taken  such  tender  care  of  — 
the  faithful  have  fallen  at  his  feet  in  such  adoring  thou- 
sands, —  and  now  - —  away  from  all  this  warmth  and 
light  and  incense,  and  colour  of  pictures  and  stained- 
glass  windows,  and  white  statuary  and  purple  velvets, 
and  golden-fringed  palanquins,  —  now  —  out  into  the 
cold  he  must  go !  —  out  into  the  darkness  and  mystery 
and  silence !  —  where  all  the  former  generations  of  the 
world,  immense  and  endless,  and  all  the  old  religions, 
are  huddled  away  in  the  mist  of  the  mouldered  past !  — 
out  into  the  thick  blackness,  where  maybe  the  fiery  heads 
of  Bel  and  the  Dragon  may  lift  themselves  upward  and 
leer  at  him !  —  or  he  may  meet  the  frightful  menace  of 
some  monstrous  Mexican  deity,  once  worshipped  with 
the  rites  of  blood!  —  out  —  out  into  the  unknown,  un- 
imaginable Amazement  must  the  poor  naked  Soul  go 
shuddering  on  the  blast  of  death,  to  face  he  truly  knows 
not  what !  —  but  possibly  he  has  such  a  pitiful  blind  trust 
in  good,  that  he  may  be  re-transformed  into  some  pleas- 
ant living  consciousness  that  shall  be  more  agreeable  even 
than  that  of  Pope  of  Rome !  '  Mourir  c'est  rien,  —  mais 
souffrir! '  That  is  the  hard  part  of  it!  Let  us  all  pray 
for  the  Pope,  my  friends !  —  he  is  an  old  man  !  " 


292  "Temporal  Power' 

"  When  you  are  silent,  Zouche,"  said  Thord  with  a 
half  smile ;  "  We  may  perhaps  meditate  upon  him  in  our 
thoughts,  —  but  not  while  you  talk  thus  volubly !  You 
take  up  time  —  and  Pequita  is  getting  tired." 

"  Yes,"  said  Lotys ;  "  Pequita  and  1  will  go  home,  and 
there  will  be  no  dancing  to-night." 

"  No,  Lotys !  You  will  not  be  so  cruel !  "  said  Zouche, 
pushing  his  grey  hair  back  from  his  brows,  while  his  wild 
eyes  glittered  under  the  tangle,  like  the  eyes  of  a  beast  in 
its  lair;  "  Think  for  a  moment !  I  do  not  come  here  and 
bore  you  with  my  poems,  though  I  might  very  well  do 
so !  Some  of  them  are  worth  hearing,  I  assure  you  ;  — 
even  the  King  —  curse  him  !  —  has  condescended  to  think 
so,  or  else  why  should  he  offer  me  pay  for  them  ?  Kings 
are  not  so  ready  to  part  with  money,  even  when  it  is  Gov- 
ernment money !  In  England  once  a  Premier  named 
Gladstone,  gave  two  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  a  year 
pension  to  the  French  Prince,  Lucien  Buonaparte,  '  for 
his  researches  into  Celtic  literature  ' !  Bah  !  There  were 
many  worthier  native-born  men  who  had  worked  harder 
on  the  same  subject,  to  choose  from,  —  without  giving 
good  English  money  to  a  Frenchman !  There  is  a  case 
of  your  Order  and  Justice,  Lotys !  You  spoke  to-night 
of  these  two  impossible  things.  Why  will  you  touch  on 
such  subjects?  You  know  there  is  no  Order  and  no  Jus- 
tice anywhere !  The  LJniverse  is  a  chance  whirl  of  gas  and 
atoms ;  though  where  the  two  mischiefs  come  from  no- 
body knows !  And  why  the  devil  we  should  be  made  the 
prey  of  gas  and  atoms  is  a  mystery  which  no  Church  can 
solve !  " 

As  he  said  this,  there  was  a  slight  movement  of  every 
head  towards  Lotys,  and  enquiring  ewes  looked  sugges- 
tively at  her.     She  saw  the  look,  and  responded  to  it. 

"  You  are  wrong,  Zouche !  —  I  have  always  told  you 
you  are  wrong,"  she  said  emphatically,  "  It  is  in  your  own 
disordered  thoughts  that  you  see  no  justice  and  no  order, 
—  but  Order  there  is,  and  Justice  there  is,  —  and  Com- 
pensation for  all  that  seems  to  go  wrong.  There  is  an 
Intelligence  at  the  core  of  Creation !  It  is  not  for  us  to 
measure  that  Intelligence,  or  to  set  any  limits  to  it.  Our 
duty  is  to  recognize  it,  and  to  set  oUf  selves  as  much  as  pos- 
sible in  harmony  with  it.    Do  yoU  never,  in  sane  moments, 


The  Scorn  of  Kings  293 

study  the  progress  of  humanity?  Do  you  not  see  that 
while  the  brute  creation  remains  stationary,  (some  speci- 
mens of  it  even  becoming  extinct),  man  goes  step  by  step 
to  higher  results?  This  is,  or  should  be,  sufficient  proof 
that  death  is  not  the  end  for  us.  This  world  is  only  one 
link  in  our  chain  of  intended  experience.  I  think  it  de- 
pends on  ourselves  as  to  what  we  make  of  it.  Thought  is 
a  great  power  by  which  we  mould  ourselves  and  others  ; 
and  we  have  no  right  to  subvert  that  power  to  base  uses, 
or  to  poison  it  by  distrust  of  good,  or  disbelief  in  the  Su- 
preme Guidance.  You  would  be  a  thousand  times  better 
as  a  man,  Zouche,  and  far  greater  as  a  poet,  if  you  could 
believe  in  God !  " 

She  spoke  with  eloquence  and  affectionate  earnestness, 
and  among  all  the  men  there  was  a  moment's  silence. 

"  Well,  you  believe  in  Him ;  "  said  Zouche  at  last,  "  and 
I  will  catch  hold  of  your  angel's  robe  as  you  pass  into  His 
Presence  and  say  to  Him ;  — '  Here  comes  poor  Zouche, 
who  wrote  of  beautiful  things  among  ugly  surroundings, 
and  who,  in  order  to  be  true  to  his  friends,  chose  poverty 
rather  than  the  gold  of  a  king !  '  " 

Lotys  smiled,  very  sweetly  and  indulgently. 

"  Such  a  plea  would  stand  you  in  good  stead,  Zouche! 
To  be  always  true  to  one's  friends,  and  to  persistently 
believe  in  beauty,  is  a  very  long  step  towards  Heaven !  " 

"  I  did  not  say  I  believed  in  beauty,"  said  Zouche  sud- 
denly and  obstinately;  —  "  I  dream  it  —  I  think  it  —  but 
I  do  not  see  it !  To  me  the  world  is  one  Horror  — 
nothing  but  a  Grave  into  which  we  all  must  fall !  The 
fairest  face  has  a  hideous  skull  behind  it,  —  the  dazzling 
blue  of  the  sea  covers  devouring  monsters  in  its  depths 
—  the  green  fields,  the  lovely  woodlands,  are  full  of  vile 
worms  and  noxious  beetles,  —  and  space  itself  swarms 
with  thick-strewn  worlds,  —  flaming  comets,  —  blazing 
nebulae,  —  among  which  our  earth  is  but  a  gnat's  wing  in 
a  huge  flame !  Horrible !  • —  horrible  !  "  And  he  spoke 
with  a  kind  of  vehement  fury.  "  Let  us  not  think  of  it ! 
Why  should  we  insist  on  Truth  ?  Let  us  have  lies !  — 
dear,  sweet  lies  and  fond  delusions !  Let  us  believe  that 
men  are  all  honest,  and  women  all  loving !  —  that  there 
are  virgins  and  saints  and  angels,  as  well  as  bishops  and 
curates,  looking  after  us  in  this  wild  world  of  terror,  — 


294  "Temporal  Power' 

oh,  yes  !  —  let  us  believe !  —  better  the  Pope's  little  pri- 
vate snuggery  of  a  Heaven,  than  the  crushing  truth  which 
says  '  Our  God  is  a  consuming  fire  ' !  Knowledge  deepens 
sorrow,  —  truth  kills  !  —  we  must  —  we  must  have  a 
little  love,  and  a  few  lies  to  lean  upon !  " 

His  voice  faltered,  —  and  a  sudden  ashy  paleness  over- 
spread his  features,  —  his  head  fell  back  helplessly,  and 
he  seemed  transfixed  and  insensible.  Leroy  and  one  or 
two  of  the  others  rose  in  alarm,  thinking  he  had  swooned, 
but  Sergius  Thord  warned  them  back  by  a  sign.  The 
little  Pequita,  slipping  from  the  arms  of  Lotys,  went  softly 
up  to  him. 

"  Paul !  Dear  Paul !  "  she  said  in  her  soft  childish 
tones. 

Zouche  stirred,  and  stretching  out  one  hand,  groped 
with  it  blindly  in  the  air.  Pequita  took  it,  warming  it 
between  her  own  little  palms. 

"  Paul !  "  she  said  ;  '  Do  wake  up !  You  have  been 
asleep  such  a  long  time !  " 

He  opened  his  eyes.  The  grey  pallor  passed  from  his 
face ;   he  lifted  his  head  and  smiled. 

"  So !  There  you  are,  Pequita !  "  he  said  gently ;  "  Dear 
little  one!     So  brave  and  cheerful  in  your  hard  life!  '; 

He  lifted  her  small  brown  hand,  and  kissed  it.  The 
feverish  tension  of  his  brain  relaxed,  —  and  two  large 
tears  welled  up  in  his  eyes,  and  rolled  down  his  cheeks. 
"  Poor  little  girl !  "  he  murmured  weakly ;  "  Poor  little 
hard-working  girl !  " 

All  the  men  sat  silent,  watching  the  gradual  softening 
of  Zouche's  drunken  delirium  by  the  mere  gentle  caress 
of  the  child ;  and  Pasquin  Leroy  was  conscious  of  a 
curious  tightening  of  the  muscles  of  his  throat,  and  a 
straining  compassion  at  his  heart,  which  was  more  like 
acute  sympathy  with  the  griefs  and  sins  of  humanity  than 
any  emotion  he  had  ever  known.  He  saw  that  the 
thoughtful,  pitiful  eyes  of  Lotys  were  full  of  tears,  and 
he  longed,  in  quite  a  foolish,  almost  boyish  fashion,  to 
take  her  in  his  arms  and  by  a  whispered  word  of  tender- 
ness, persuade  those  tears  away.  Yet  he  was  a  man  of  the 
world,  and  had  seen  and  known  enough.  But  had  he 
known  them  humanly?  Or  only  from  the  usual  stand- 
point of  masculine  egotism  ?    As  he  thought  this,  a  strain 


The  Scorn  of  Kings  295 

of  sweet  and  solemn  music  stole  through  the  room,  — 
Louis  Valdor  had  risen  to  his  feet,  and  holding  the  violin 
tenderly  against  his  heart,  was  coaxing  out  of  its  wooden 
cavity  a  plaintive  request  for  sympathy  and  attention. 
Such  delicious  music  thrilled  upon  the  dead  silence  as 
might  have  fitted  Shelley's  exquisite  lines. 

"  There  the  voluptuous  nightingales, 

Are  awake  through  all  the  broad  noon-day, 
When  one  with  bliss  or  sadness  fails, 

And  through  the  windless  ivy-boughs 
Sick  with  sweet  love,  droops  dying  away 

On  its  mate's  music-panting  bosom  ; 

Another  from  the  swinging  blossom, 
Watching  to  catch  the  languid  close 

Of  the  last  strain  ;  then  lifts  on  high 

The  wings  of  the  weak  melodv, 
Till  some  new  strain  of  feeling  bear 

The  song,  and  all  the  woods  are  mute ; 
When  there  is  heard  through  the  dim  air 
The  rush  of  wings,  and  rising  there 

Like  many  a  lake-surrounded  flute 
Sounds  overflow  the  listener's  brain, 
So  sweet  that  joy  is  almost  pain." 

'  Thank  God  for  music !  "  said  Sergius  Thord,  as 
Valdor  laid  aside  his  bow  ;  '  It  exorcises  the  evil  spirit 
from  every  modern  Saul !  " 

"  Sometimes!  "  responded  Valdor;  "  But  I  have  known 
cases  where  the  evil  spirit  has  been  roused  by  music  in- 
stead of  suppressed.    Art,  like  virtue,  has  two  sides !  " 

Zouche  was  still  holding  Pequita's  hand.  He  looked  ill 
and  exhausted,  like  a  man  who  had  passed  through  a 
violent  paroxysm  of  fever. 

'You  are  a  good  child,  Pequita!'  he  was  saying 
softly  ;  "  Try  to  be  always  so  !  —  it  is  difficult  —  but  it  is 
easier  to  a  woman  than  to  a  man !  Women  have  more  of 
good  in  them  than  men !  " 

'  How  about  the  dance?"  suggested  Thord;  "The  hour 
is  late,  —  close  on  midnight  —  and  Lotys  must  be  tired." 

"  Shall  I  dance  now?  "  enquired  Pequita. 

Lotys  smiled  and  nodded.  Four  or  five  of  the  company 
at  once  got  up,  and  helped  to  push  aside  the  table. 

"  Will  you  play  for  me,  Monsieur  Valdor?  "  asked  the 
little  girl,  still  standing  by  the  side  of  Zouche. 

"  Of  course,  my  child  !     What  shall  it  be  ?     Something 


296         "Temporal  Power" 

to  suggest  a  fairy  hopping  over  mushrooms  in  the  moon- 
light?—  or  Shakespeare's  Ariel  swinging  on  a  cobweb 
from  a  bunch  of  may?  " 

Pequita  considered,  and  for  a  moment  did  not  reply, 
while  Zouche,  still  holding  her  little  brown  hand,  kissed 
it  again. 

"You  are  very  fond  of  dancing?"  asked  Pasquin 
Leroy,  looking  at' her  dark  face  and  big  black  eyes  with 
increasing  interest. 

She  smiled  frankly  at  him. 

"  Yes  !    I  would  like  to  dance  before  the  King !  " 

"Fie,  fie,  Pequita!"  cried  Johan  Zegota,  while  mur- 
murs of  laughter  and  playful  cries  of  '  Shame,  Shame  ' 
echoed  through  the  room. 

"  Why  not?  "  said  Pequita ;  "  It  would  do  me  good, 
and  my  father  too!  Such  poor,  sad  people  come  to  the 
theatre  where  I  dance,  —  they  love  to  see  me,  and  I  love 
to  dance  for  them  —  but  then  —  they  too  would  be  pleased 
if  I  could  dance  at  the  Royal  Opera,  because  they  would 
know  I  could  then  earn  enough  money  to  make  my  father 
comfortable." 

"  What  a  very  matter-of-fact  statement  in  favour  of 
kings  !  "  exclaimed  Max  Graub  ;  —  "  Here  is  a  child  who 
does  not  care  a  button  for  a  king  as  king ;  but  she  thinks 
he  would  be  useful  as  a  figure-head  to  dance  to,  —  for 
idiotic  Fashion,  grouping  itself  idiotically  around  the 
figure-head,  would  want  to  see  her  dance  also  —  and  then 
—  oh  simple  conclusion !  —  she  would  be  able  to  support 
her  father!  Truly,  a  king  has  often  been  put  to  worse 
uses !  " 

"  I  think,"  said  Pasquin  Leroy,  "  T  could  manage  to  get 
you  a  trial  at  the  Royal  Opera,   Pequita!     I  know  the 


manager 


She  looked  up  with  a  sudden  blaze  of  light  in  her  eyes, 
sprang  towards  him,  dropped  on  one  knee  with  an  ex- 
quisite grace,  and  kissed  his  hand. 

"Oh!  —  vou  will  be  goodness  itself!"  she  cried;  — 
"  And  I  will  be  grateful  --  indeed  I  will !  —  so  grateful !  " 

He  was  startled  and  amazed  at  her  impulsive  action, 
and  taking  her  little  hand,  gently  pressed  it. 

"  Poor  child  !  "  he  said  ;  —  "  You  must  not  thank  me  till 
I  succeed.    It  is  very  little  to  do  --  but  I  will  do  all  I  can." 


The  Scorn  of  Kings  297 

"  Someone  else  will  be  grateful  too !  "  said  Lotys  in 
her  rieh  thrilling  voice ;  and  her  eyes  rested  on  him  with 
that  wonderful  magnetic  sweetness  which  drew  his  soul 
out  of  him  as  by  a  spell ;  while  Zouche,  only  partially 
understanding  the  conversation  said  slowly  :  — 

"  Pequita  deserves  all  the  good  she  can  get ;  more  than 
any  of  us.  We  do  nothing  but  try  to  support  ourselves  ; 
and  we  talk  a  vast  amount  about  supporting  others,  — 
but  Pequita  works  all  the  time  and  says  nothing.  And  she 
is  a  genius  —  she  does  not  know  it,  but  she  is.  Give  us 
the  Dagger  Dance,  Pequita !  Then  our  friend  Leroy  can 
judge  of  you  at  your  best,  and  make  good  report  of  you." 

Pequita  looked  at  Lotys  and  received  a  sign  of  assent. 
She  then  nodded  to  Valdor. 

"  You  know  what  to  play  ?  " 

Valdor  nodded  in  return,  and  took  up  his  violin.  The 
company  drew  back  their  seats,  and  sat,  or  stood  aside, 
from  the  centre  of  the  room.  Pequita  disappeared  for  a 
moment,  and  returned  divested  of  the  plain  rusty  black 
frock  she  had  worn,  and  merely  clad  in  a  short  scarlet 
petticoat,  with  a  low  white  calico  bodice  —  her  dark  curls 
tumbling  in  disorder,  and  grasping  in  her  right  hand  a 
brightly  polished,  unsheathed  dagger..  Valdor  began  to 
play,  and  with  the  first  wild  chords  the  childish  figure 
swayed,  circled,  and  leaped  forward  like  a  young  Am- 
azon, the  dagger  brandished  aloft,  and  gleaming  here  and 
there  as  though  it  were  a  snaky  twist  of  lightning.  Very 
soon  Pasquin  Leroy  found  himself  watching  the  evolu- 
tions of  the  girl  dancer  with  fascinated  interest.  Nothing 
so  light,  so  delicate  or  so  graceful  had  he  ever  seen  as  this 
little  slight  form  bending  to  and  fro,  now  gliding  with 
the  grace  of  a  swan  on  water  —  now  leaping  swiftly  as  a 
fawn,  —  while  the  attitudes  she  threw  herself  into,  some- 
times threatening,  sometimes  defiant,  and  often  com- 
manding, with  the  glittering  steel  weapon  held  firmly  in 
her  tiny  hand,  were  each  and  all  pictures  of  youthful 
pliancy  and  animation.  As  she  swung  and  whirled,  — 
sometimes  pirouetting  so  swiftly  that  her  scarlet  skirt 
looked  like  a  mere  red  flower  in  the  wind,  —  her  bright 
eyes  flashed,  her  dark  hair  tangled  itself  in  still  richer 
masses,  and  her  lips,  crimson  as  the  pomegranate,  were 
half  parted  with  her  panting  breath. 


298         "  Temporal  Power 


"  Brava !  Brava !  "  shouted  the  men,  becoming  more 
and  more  excited  as  their  eyes  followed  the  flash  of  the 
dagger  she  held,  now  directed  towards  them,  now  shaken 
aloft,  and  again  waved  threateningly  from  side  to  side, 
or  pointed  at  her  own  bosom,  while  her  little  feet  twinkled 
over  the  floor  in  a  maze  of  intricate  and  perfectly  per- 
formed steps;  —  and  "  Brava!  "  cried  Pasquin  Leroy,  as 
breathless,  but  still  glowing  and  bright  with  her  exer- 
tions, she  suddenly  out  of  her  own  impulse,  dropped  on 
one  knee  before  him  with  the  glittering  dagger  pointed 
straight  at  his  heart ! 

"  Would  that  please  the  King  ?  "  she  asked,  her  pearly 
teeth  gleaming  into  a  mischievous  smile  between  the  red 
lips. 

"  If  it  did  not,  he  would  be  a  worse  fool  than  even  I 
take  him  for !  "  replied  Leroy,  as  she  sprang  up  again, 
and  confronted  him.  "  Here  is  a  little  souvenir  from  me, 
child !  —  and  if  ever  you  do  dance  before  his  Majesty, 
wear  it  for  my  sake!  " 

He  took  from  his  pocket  a  ring,  in  which  was  set  a  fine 
brilliant  of  unusual  size  and  lustre. 

She  looked  at  it  a  moment  as  he  held  it  out  to  her. 

"  Oh,  no,"  she  faltered,  "  I  cannot  take  it  —  I  cannot! 
Lotys  dear,  you  know  I  cannot !  " 

Lotys,  thus  appealed  to,  left  her  seat  and  came  forward. 
Taking  the  ring  from  Leroy's  hand,  she  examined  it  a 
moment,  then  gently  returned  it. 

"  This  is  too  great  a  temptation  for  Pequita,  my 
friend,"  she  said  quietly,  but  firmly.  '  In  duty  bound, 
she  would  have  to  sell  it  in  order  to  help  her  poor  father. 
She  could  not  justly  keep  it.  Let  me  be  the  arbiter  in  this 
matter.  If  you  can  carry  out  your  suggestion,  and  obtain 
for  her  an  engagement  at  the  Royal  Opera,  then  give  it  to 
her,  but  not  till  then!     Do  you  not  think  I  am  right?  " 

She  spoke  so  sweetly  and  persuasively,  that  Leroy  was 
profoundly  touched.  What  he  would  have  liked  would 
have  been  to  give  the  child  a  roll  of  gold  pieces,  —  but  he 
was  playing  a  strange  part,  and  the  time  to  act  openly 
was  not  yet. 

'  It  shall  be  as  you  wish,  Madame !  "  he  said  with 
courteous  deference.  '  Pequita,  the  first  time  you  dance 
before  the  King,  this  shall  be  yours !  " 


The  Scorn  of  Kings  299 

He  put  aside  the  jewel,  and  Pequita  kissed  his  hand 
impulsively,  —  as  impulsively  she  kissed  the  lips  of  her 
friend  Lotys  —  and  then  came  the  general  dispersal  and 
break-up  of  the  assembly. 

"  Tell  me,"  said  Sergius  Thord,  catching  Leroy's  hand 
in  a  close  and  friendly  grasp  ere  bidding  him  farewell ; 
"  Are  you  in  very  truth  in  personal  danger  on  account 
of  serving  our  Cause  ?  " 

"  No ! "  replied  Leroy  frankly,  returning  the  warm 
pressure;  "  And  rest  assured  that  if  I  were,  I  would  find 
means  to  elude  it !  I  have  managed  to  frighten  Carl 
Perousse,  that  is  all  —  and  Jost !  " 

"  Jost !  "  echoed  Sergius  ;  "  The  Colossus  of  the  Press  ? 
Surely  it  would  take  more  than  one  man  to  frighten 
him !  " 

Leroy  laughed. 

"  I  grant  you  the  Jewish  centres  of  journalism  are  diffi- 
cult to  shake !    But  they  all  depend  on  stocks  and  shares  !  " 

A  touch  on  his  arm  caused  him  to  turn  round,  —  Paul 
Zouche  confronted  both  him  and  Thord,  with  a  solemn 
worn  face,  and  lack-lustre  eyes. 

"  Good-night,  friends !  "  he  said ;  "  I  have  not  kicked 
at  a  king  with  my  boot,  but  I  have  with  my  brain !  —  and 
the  effort  is  exhausting!     I  am  going  home  to  bed." 

"  Where  is  your  home?  "  asked  Leroy  suddenly. 

Zouche  looked  mysterious. 

"  In  a  palace,  dear  sir !  A  palace  of  golden  air,  peopled 
with  winged  dreams !  No  money  could  purchase  it ;  — 
no  '  Empire  Builder  '  could  build  it !  —  it  is  mine  and 
mine  alone !     And  I  pay  no  taxes  !  " 

"  Will  you  put  this  to  some  use  for  me?"  said  Leroy, 
holding  out  a  gold  piece ;  "  Simply  as  comrade  and 
friend  ?  " 

Zouche  stared  at  him. 

"  You  mean  it  ?  " 

"  Of  course  I  mean  it !  Zouche,  believe  me,  you  are 
going  to  be  the  fashion !  You  will  be  able  to  do  me  a 
good  turn  before  long !  " 

Zouche  took  the  gold  piece,  and  as  he  took  it,  pressed 
the  giver's  hand. 

"  You  mean  well !  "  he  said  tremulously  :  '  You  know 
—  as  Sergius  does,  that  I  am  poor,  —  often  starving 


300  "Temporal  Power 

often  drunk but  you  know  also  that  there  is  some- 
thing here!"  —  and  he  touched  his  forehead  meaningly. 
'*  But  to  be  the  '  fashion  ' !  Bah !  I  do  not  belong  to  the 
Trade-ocracy !  Nobody  becomes  the  '  fashion  '  nowadays 
unless  they  have  cheated  their  neighbours  by  short  weight 
and  falsified  accounts !  Good-night !  You  might  be  the 
King  from  your  looks  ;  —  but  you  have  something  better 
than  kingship  —  Heart !  Good-night,  Pequita !  You 
danced  well !  Good-night,  Lotys !  You  spoke  well ! 
Everyone   does  everything  well,   except  poor  Zouche !  ' 

Pequita  ran  up  to  him. 

"  Good-night,  dear  Paul !  " 

He  stooped  and  kissed  her  gently. 

"  Good-night,  little  one!  If  ever  you  show  your  twin- 
kling feet  at  the  Opera,  you  will  be  the  '  fashion  '  —  and 
will  you  remember  Paul  then  ?  " 

"  Always  —  always  !  "  said  Pequita  tenderly ;  "  Father 
and  Lotys  and  I  will  always  love  you !  '' 

Zouche  gave  a  short  laugh, 

"  Always  love  me  !  Me !  Well !  —  what  strange  things 
children  will  say,  not  knowing  in  the  least  what  they 
mean !  " 

He  gave  a  vague  salute  to  the  entire  company,  and 
walked  out  of  the  tavern  with  drooping  head.  Others 
followed  him,  —  every  man  in  going,  shook  hands  with 
Lotys  and  Sergius  Thord,  —  the  lamps  were  extinguished, 
and  the  landlord  standing  in  the  porch  of  his  tavern 
watched  them  all  file  out,  and  bade  them  all  a  cordial  fare- 
well. Pequita's  home  was  with  her  father  in  the  house 
where  Sergius  Thord  dwelt,  and  Lotys  kissing  her  ten- 
derly good-night,  left  her  to  Thord's  care. 

"  And  who  will  see  you  home,  Lotys?  "  enquired  Thord. 

"May  I  for  once  have  that  honour?"  asked  Pasquin 
Leroy.  His  two  companions  stared  in  undisguised 
amazement,  and  there  was  a  moment's  silence. 

Then  Lotys  spoke. 

"  You  may!  "  she  said  simply. 

There  was  another  silence  while  she  put  on  her  hat,  and 
wrapped  herself  in  her  long  dark  cloak.  Then  Thord 
took  Pequita  by  the  hand. 

"  Good-night,   I  ,otys  !  " 

"  Good-night,  Sergius  !  " 


The  Scorn  of  Kings  301 

Leroy  turned  to  his  two  friends  and  spoke  to  them  in  a 
low  tone. 

"  Go  your  ways !  "  he  said  peremptorily ;  '  I.  will  join 
you  later !  ' ' 

Vain  were  their  alarmed  looks  of  remonstrance ;  and 
in  another  moment  all  the  party  had  separated,  and  only 
Max  Graub  and  Axel  Regor  remained  on  the  pavement 
outside  the  tavern,  disconsolately  watching  two  figures 
disappearing  in  the  semi-shadowed  moonlight  —  Pasquin 
Leroy  and  Lotys  —  walking  closely  side  by  side. 

"Was  there' ever  such  a  drama  as  this?-'  muttered 
Graub.    "  He  may  lose  his  life  at  any  moment!  " 

"  If  he  does,"  "responded  Regor,  "  It  will  not  be  our 
fault.  We  do  our  best  to  guard  him  from  the  conse- 
quence of  one  folly,  —  and  he  straightway  runs  into  an- 
other !  There  is  no  help  for  it ;  we  have  sworn  to  obey 
him,  and  we  must  keep  our  oath!  " 

They  passed  slowly  along  the  street,  too  absorbed  in 
their  own  uncomfortable  reflections  for  the  interchange 
of  many  words.  By  the  rules  of  the  Revolutionary  Com- 
mittee, they  were  not  allowed  '  to  follow  or  track  any  other 
member  '  so  they  were  careful  to  walk  in  a  reverse  direc- 
tion to  that  taken  by  their  late  comrades.  The  great  bell  of 
the  Cathedral  boomed  midnight  as  they  climbed  towards 
the  citadel,  and  the  pale  moon  peeping  whitely  through 
piled-up  fleecy  clouds,  shed  a  silver  glare  upon  the  quiet 
sea.  And  down  into  the  '  slums,'  down,  and  ever  deeper, 
into  the  sad  and  cheerless  '  Quarter  of  the  Poor  '  Pasquin 
Leroy  walked  as  though  he  trod  lightly  on  a  path  of 
flowers,  —  his  heart  beating  high,  and  his  soul  fully 
awakened  within  him,  thrilled,  he  knew  not  why,  to  the 
heart's  core  by  the  soft  low  voice  of  Lotys,  —  and  glad 
that  in  the  glimpses  of  the  moonlight  her  eyes  were  oeea- 
sionallv  lifted  to  his  face,  with  something  of  a  child's 
trust,  if  not  of  a  woman's  tenderness. 


CHAPTER    XXI 

AN    INVITATION    TO    COURT 

THE  spring-  was  now  advancing  into  full  summer, 
and  some  time  had  passed  since  the  Socialist  party 
had  gathered  under  their  leaders  to  the  voice  of  Lotys. 
Troublous  days  appeared  to  be  impending  for  the  Senate, 
and  rumours  of  War,  —  war  sometimes  apparently  immi- 
nent, and  again  suddenly  averted,  —  had  from  time  to 
time  worried  the  public  through  the  Press.  But  what  was 
even  more  disturbing  to  the  country,  was  the  proposed 
infliction  of  new,  heavy  and  irritating  taxes,  which  had 
begun  to  affect  the  popular  mind  to  the  verge  of  revolt. 
Twice  since  Lotys  had  spoken  at  the  People's  Assembly 
Rooms  had  Sergius  Thord  addressed  huge  mass  meet- 
ings, which  apparently  the  police  had  no  orders  to  dis- 
perse, and  his  power  over  the  multitude  was  increasing 
by  leaps  and  bounds.  Whenever  he  spoke,  wherever  he 
worked,  the  indefatigable  Pasquin  Leroy  was  constantly 
at  his  side,  and  he,  in  his  turn  began  to  be  recognized  by 
the  Revolutionary  Committee  as  one  of  their  most  ener- 
getic members,  —  able,  resolute,  and  above  all,  of  an  in- 
valuably inscrutable  and  self-contained  demeanour.  His 
two  comrades  were  not  so  effectual  in  their  assistance, 
and  appeared  to  act  merely  in  obedience  to  his  instruc- 
tions. Their  attitude,  however,  suited  everyone  concerned 
as  well  as,  if  not  better  than,  if  they  had  been  over- 
zealous.  Owing  to  what  Leroy  had  stated  concerning 
the  possibility  of  his  arrest  as  a  spy,  his  name  was  never 
mentioned  in  public  by  one  single  member  of  the  Brother- 
hood ;  and  to  the  outside  Socialist  following,  he  there- 
fore appeared  simply  as  one  of  the  many  who  worked 
under  Sergius  Thord's  command.  Meanwhile,  there  were 
not  lacking  many  other  subjects  for  popular  concern  and 
comment ;  all  of  which  in  their  turn  gave  rise  to  anxious 
discussion  and  vague  conjecture.    A  Cabinet  Council  had 


An  Invitation  to  Court       303 

been  held  by  the  Premier,  at  which,  without  warning,  the 
King  had  attended  personally,  but  the  results  were  not 
made  known  to  the  public.  Yet  the  general  impression 
was  that  his  Majesty  seemed  to  be  perfectly  indifferent 
to  the  feelings  or  the  well-being  of  his  subjects;  in  fact, 
as  some  of  them  said  with  dismal  shakings  of  the  head, 
'  It  was  all  a  part  of  the  system  ;  kings  were  not  allowed 
to  do  anything  even  for  the  benefit  of  their  people."  And 
rising  Socialism,  ever  growing  stronger,  and  amassing  in 
its  ranks  all  the  youthful  and  ambitious  intellects  of  the 
time,  agreed  and  swore  that  it  was  time  for  a  Republic. 
Only  by  a  complete  change  of  Government  could  the 
cruelly-increasing  taxation  be  put  down  ;  and  if  Govern- 
ment was  to  be  changed,  why  not  the  dummy  figure-head 
of  Government  as  well  ? 

Thus  Rumour  talked,  sometimes  in  whispers  —  some- 
times in  shouts ;  --but  through  it  all  the  life  of  the  Court 
and  fashion  went  on  in  the  same  way,  —  the  King  contin- 
ued to  receive  with  apparent  favour  the  most  successful 
and  most  moneyed  men  from  all  parts  of  the  world ;  the 
Queen  drove  or  walked,  or  rode ;  —  and  the  only  pro- 
spective change  in  the  social  routine  was  the  report  that 
the  Crown  Prince  was  about  to  leave  the  country  for  a 
tour  round  the  world,  and  that  he  would  start  on  his 
journey  in  his  own  yacht  about  the  end  of  the  month. 
The  newspapers  made  a  great  fuss  in  print  over  this 
projected  tour ;  but  the  actual  people  were  wholly  indif- 
ferent to  it.  They  had  seen  very  little  of  the  Crown 
Prince,  —  certainly  not  enough  to  give  him  their  affection  ; 
and  whether  he  left  the  kingdom  or  stayed  in  it  concerned 
them  not  at  all.  He  had  done  nothing  marked  or  decisive 
in  his  life  to  show  either  talent,  originality  of  character, 
or  resolution  ;  and  the  many  '  puffs  '  in  the  press  concern- 
ing him,  were  scarcely  read  at  all  by  the  public,  or  if  they 
were,  they  were  not  credited.  The  expression  of  an 
ordinary  working-man  with  regard  to  his  position  was 
entirely  typical  of  the  general  popular  sentiment ;  —  "If 
he  would  only  do  something  to  prove  he  had  a  will  of  his 
own,  and  a  mind,  he  would  perhaps  be  able  to  set  the 
Throne  more  firmly  on  its  legs  than  it  is  at  present." 

How  thoroughly  the  young  man  had  proved  that  he 
indeed  possessed   '  a  will  of  his  own,'  was  not  yet  dis- 


304         "Temporal  Power" 

closed  to  the  outside  critics  of  his  life  and  conduct.  Only 
the  King  and  Queen,  and  Professor  von  Glauben  knew 
it ;  —  for  even  Sir  Roger  de  Launay  had  not  been  en- 
trusted with  the  story  of  his  secret  marriage.  The  Queen 
had  received  the  news  with  her  usual  characteristic  im- 
mobility. A  faint  cold  smile  had  parted  her  lips  as  she 
listened  to  the  story  of  her  son's  romance,  —  and  her 
reply  to  the  King's  brief  explanation  was  almost  as 
brief :  — 

'  Nearly  all  the  aristocracy  marry  music-hall  women!" 
she  said ;  "  One  should  therefore  be  grateful  that  a  Crown 
Prince  does  not  go  lower  in  his  matrimonial  choice  than 
an  innocent  little  peasant !  " 

'The  marriage  is  useless,  of  course,"  said  the  King; 
"  It  has  satisfied  Humphry's  exalted  notions  of  honour ; 
but  it  can  never  be  acknowledged  or  admitted." 

"  Of  course  not !  "  she  agreed  languidly ;  '  It  certainly 
clears  up  the  mystery  of  The  Islands,  which  you  were  so 
anxious  to  visit ;  —  and  I  suppose  the  next  thing  you  will 
do  is  to  marry  him  again  to  some  daughter  of  a  Royal 
house  ?  " 

"  Most  assuredly !  " 

"As  you  were  married  to  me?"  she  said,  raising  her 
eyes  to  his  face  with  that  strange  deep  look  which  spoke 
eloquently  of  some  mystery  hidden  in  her  soul. 

His  cheeks  burned  with  an  involuntary  flush.  He 
bowed. 

•  Precisely !     As  I  married  you  !  "  he  replied. 

"The  experiment  was  hardly  successful!"  she  said 
with  her  little  cold  smile.  '•  I  fear  you  have  often  re- 
gretted it !  " 

He  looked  at  her,  studying  her  beauty  intently,  —  and 
the  remembrance  of  another  face,  far  less  fair  of  feature, 
but  warm  and  impassioned  by  the  lovely  light  of  sympathy 
and  tenderness,  came  between  his  eyes  and  hers,  like  a 
heavenly  vision. 

"  Had  you  loved  me,"  he  said  slowly,  "  I  might  never 
have  known  what  it  was  to  need  love!  " 

A  slight  tremor  ran  through  her  veins.  There  was  a 
strange  tone  in  his  voice,  —  a  soft  cadence  to  which  she 
was  unaccustomed,  —  something  that  suggested  a  new 
emotion  in  his  life,  and  a  deeper  experience. 


An  Invitation  to  Court       305 

'  I  never  loved  anyone  in  my  life !  "  she  answered 
calmly  —  "And  now  "the  days  are  past  for  loving. 
Humphry,  however,  has  made  up  for  my  lack  of  the 
tender  passion  !  " 

She  turned  away  indifferently,  and  appeared  to  dismiss 
the  matter  altogether  from  her  mind.  The  first  time  she 
saw  her  son,  however,  after  hearing  of  his  marriage,  she 
looked  at  him  curiously. 

"And  so  your  wife  is  very  lovely,  Humphry!"  she 
said  with  a  slightly  derisive  smile. 

He  was  not  startled  by  the  suddenness  of  her  observa- 
tion nor  put  out  by  it. 

''  She  is  the  loveliest  woman  I  have  ever  seen,  —  not 
excepting  yourself,"  he  replied. 

'  It  is  a  very  foolish  affair !  "  she  continued  compos- 
edly;  "  But  fortunately  in  our  line  of  life  such  things  are 
easily  arranged  ;  —  and  your  future  will  not  be  spoiled 
by  it.  I  am  glad  you  are  going  abroad,  as  you  will  very 
soon  forget !  " 

The  Prince  regarded  her  steadfastly  with  something  of 
grave  wonderment  as  well  as  compassion,  —  but  he  made 
no  reply,  and  with  the  briefest  excuse  left  her  presence 
as  soon  as  possible,  in  order  to  avoid  further  conversation 
on  the  subject.  She,  herself,  however,  found  her  mind 
curiously  perturbed  and  full  of  conjectures  concerning 
her  son's  idyllic  love-story,  in  which  all  considerations  for 
her  as  Queen  and  mother  seemed  omitted,  —  and  where 
she,  as  it  were,  appeared  to  be  shut  outside  a  lover's  para- 
dise, the  delights  of  which  she  had  never  experienced. 
The  King  held  many  private  conferences  with  her  on  the 
matter,  in  which  sometimes  Professor  von  Glauben  was 
permitted  to  share ;  —  and  the  upshot  of  these  numerous 
discussions  resulted  in  a  scheme  which  was  as  astonishing 
in  its  climax  as  it  was  unexpected.  Over  and  over  again 
it  has  been  proved  to  nations  as  well  as  to  individuals, 
that  the  whole  course  of  events  may  be  changed  by  the 
fixed  determination  of  one  resolute  mind  ;  but  it  is  not 
often  that  the  moral  force  of  a  mere  girl  succeeds  in  com- 
peting with  the  authority  of  kings  and  parliaments. 
But  so  it  chanced  on  this  occasion,  and  in  the  following 
manner. 

One  glorious  early  morning,  the  sun  having  risen  with- 

20 


306  "Temporal  Power' 

out  a  cloud  in  the  deep  blue  of  the  sky,  and  the  sea  being 
as  calm  as  an  inland  lake,  the  King's  yacht  was  seen  to 
weigh  anchor  and  steam  away  at  her  fullest  speed  towards 
The  Islands.  Little  or  no  preparation  had  been  made  for 
her  short  voyage ;  there  was  no  Royal  party  on  board, 
and  the  only  passenger  was  Professor  von  Glauben.  He 
sat  solitary  on  deck  in  a  luxurious  chair,  smoking  his 
meerschaum  pipe,  and  dubiously  considering  the  difficult 
and  peculiar  situation  in  which  he  was  placed.  He  made 
no  attempt  to  calculate  the  possible  success  or  failure  of 
his  mission  — '  for,'  said  he  very  sagely,  '  it  all  depends 
on  a  woman,  and  God  alone  knows  what  a  woman  will 
do !  Her  ways  are  dark  and  wonderful,  and  altogether 
beyond  the  limit  of  the  comprehension  of  man !  ' 

His  journey  was  undertaken  at  the  King's  command ; 
and  equally  by  the  King's  command  he  had  been  com- 
pelled to  keep  it  a  secret  from  Prince  Humphry.  He  had 
never  been  to  The  Islands  since  the  King's  '  surprise 
visit '  there,  and  he  was  of  course  not  aware  that  Gloria 
now  knew  the  real  rank  and  position  of  her  supposed 
'sailor'  husband.  He  was  at  present  charged  to  break  the 
news  to  her,  and  bring  her  straightway  to  the  palace, 
there  to  confront  both  the  King  and  Queen,  and  learn 
from  them  the  true  state  of  affairs. 

"  It  is  a  cruel  ordeal,"  he  said,  shaking  his  head  sor- 
rowfully ;  "  Yet  I  myself  am  a  party  to  its  being  tried. 
For  once  in  my  life  I  have  pinned  my  faith  on  the  unspoilt 
soul  of  an  unworldly  woman.  I  wonder  what  will  come 
of  it?  It  rests  entirely  with  Gloria  herself,  and  with  no 
one  else  in  the  world !  " 

As  the  yacht  arrived  at  its  destination  and  dropped 
anchor  at  some  distance  from  the  pier,  owing  to  the 
shallowness  of  the  tide  at  that  hour  of  the  day,  The  Islands 
presented  a  fair  aspect  in  the  dancing  beams  of  the  sum- 
mer sunlight.  Numbers  of  fruit  trees  were  bursting  into 
blossom,  —  the  apple,  the  cherry,  the  pink  almond  and 
the  orange  blossom  all  waved  together  and  whispered 
sweetness  to  one  another  in  the  pure  air,  and  the  full- 
flowering  mimosa  perfumed  every  breath  of  wind.  Fish- 
ermen were  grouped  here  and  there  on  the  shore,  mending 
or  drying  their  nets  ;  and  in  the  fields  beyond  could  be 
perceived  many  workers  pruning  the  hedges  or  guiding 


An  Invitation  to  Court      307 

the  plough.  The  vision  of  a  perfect  Arcadia  was  pre- 
sented to  the  eye ;  and  so  the  Professor  thought,  as  get- 
ting into  the  boat  lowered  for  him,  he  was  rowed  from  the 
yacht  to  the  landing-place,  and  there  dismissed  the  sailors, 
warning  them  that  at  the  first  sound  of  his  whistle  they 
should  swiftly  come  for  him  again. 

'  What  a  pity  to  spoil  her  peace  of  mind  —  her  sim- 
plicity of  life !  "  he  thought,  as  he  walked  at  a  slow  and 
reluctant  pace  towards  Ronsard's  cottage ;  "  And  I  fear 
we  shall  have  trouble  with  the  old  man !  I  wonder  if  his 
philosophy  will  stand  hard  wear  and  tear !  '; 

The  pretty,  low  timber-raftered  house  confronted  him 
at  the  next  bend  in  the  road,  and  presented  a  charming 
aspect  of  tranquillity.  The  grass  in  front  of  it  was  smooth 
as  velvet  and  emerald-green,  and  in  one  of  the  flower 
borders  Ronsard  himself  was  digging  and  planting.  He 
looked  up  as  he  heard  the  gate  open,  but  did  not  attempt 
to  interrupt  his  work ;  —  and  Von  Glauben  advanced 
towards  him  with  a  considerable  sense  of  anxiety  and 
insecurity  in  his  mind.  Anon  he  paused  in  the  very  act 
of  greeting,  as  the  old  man  turned  his  strong,  deeply- 
furrowed  countenance  upon  him  with  a  look  of  fierce 
indignation  and  scorn. 

"  So!  You  are  here!  "  he  said;  "  Have  you  come  to 
look  upon  the  evil  your  Royal  master  has  worked?  Or 
to  make  dutiful  obeisance  to  Gloria  as  Crown-Princess  ?  " 

Von  Glauben  was  altogether  taken  aback. 

1  Then  —  you  know ?  "  he  stammered. 

"Oh  yes,  I  know!"  responded  Ronsard  sternly  and 
bitterly ;  '  I  know  everything !  There  has  been  full  con- 
fession! If  the  husband  of  my  Gloria  were  more  prince 
than  man,  my  knife  would  have  slit  his  throat !  But  he 
is  more  man  than  prince !  —  and  I  have  let  him  live  — 
for  her  sake !  " 

'  Well  —  that  is  so  far  good !  "  said  Von  Glauben,  wip- 
ing the  perspiration  from  his  brow,  and  heaving  a  deep 
sigh  of  relief ;  "  And  as  you  fully  comprehend  the  situa- 
tion, it  saves  me  the  trouble  of  explaining  it !  You  are  a 
philosopher,  Ronsard !  Permit  me  to  remind  you  of  that 
fact !  You  know,  like  myself,  that  what  is  done,  even  if 
it  is  done  foolishly,  cannot  be  undone!  " 

'  I  know  it !    Who  should  know  it  so  well  as  I !  "  and 


308  "Temporal  Power' 

Ronsard  set  a  delicate  rose-tree  roughly  in  the  hole  he 
had  dug  for  it,  and  began  to  fiercely  pile  in  the  earth 
around  it ;  —  "  Fate  is  fate,  and  there  is  no  gainsaying 
it !  The  law  of  Compensation  will  always  have  its  way ! 
Look  you,  man  !  —  and  listen  !  I,  Rene  Ronsard,  once 
killed  a  king !  —  and  now  in  my  old  age,  the  only  creature 
I  ever  loved  is  tricked  by  the  son  of  a  king!  It  is  just! 
So  be  it !  " 

He  bent  his  white  head  over  his  digging  again,  and 
Von  Glauben  was  for  a  moment  silent,  vaguely  amazed 
and  stupefied  by  this  sudden  declaration  of  a  past  crime. 

"  You  should  not  say  '  tricked,'  my  friend !  "  he  at  last 
ventured  to  remark;  "  Prince  Humphry  is  an  honest  lad; 
—  he  means  to  keep  his  word !  " 

Ronsard  looked  up,  his  eyes  gleaming  with  fury. 

"  Keep  his  word  ?  Bah  !  How  can  he  ?  Who  in  this 
wide  realm  will  give  him  the  honourable  liberty  to  keep 
his  word  ?  Will  he  acknowledge  Gloria  as  his  wife  before 
the  nation  ?  —  she  a  foundling  and  a  castaway  ?  Will  he 
make  her  his  future  queen  ?  Not  he !  He  will  forsake 
her,  and  dive  with  another  woman,  in  sin  which  the  law 
will  sanctify !  " 

He  went  on  planting  the  rose-tree,  then,  —  dropping 
his  spade,  —  tossed  up  his  head  and  hands  with  a  wild 
gesture. 

"  What,  and  who  is  this  God  who  so  ordains  our  des- 
tiny!" he  exclaimed:  'For  surely  this  is  His  work, — 
not  mine!  Hidden  away  from  all  the  world  with  my 
life's  secret  buried  in  my  soul,  I,  without  wife,  or  children 
or  friends,  or  any  soul  on  earth  to  care  whether  I  lived 
or  died,  was  sent  an  angel  comforter ;  —  the  child  I  res- 
cued from  the  sea !  '  Gloria,  Gloria  in  excelsis  Deo !  '  the 
choristers  sang  in  the  church  when  I  found  her !  I 
thought  it  true !  With  her,  —  in  every  action,  in  every 
thought  and  word,  I  strove, — and  have  faithfully  striven, 
— to  atone  for  my  past  crime  ;  —  for  I  was  forced  through 
others  to  kill  that  king !  When  proved  guilty  of  the  deed, 
1  was  told  by  my  associates  to  assume  madness,  —  a  mere 
matter  of  acting,  —  and,  being  adjudged  as  insane,  I  was 
sent  with  other  criminals  on  a  convict  ship,  bound  for  a 
certain  coast-prison,  where  we  were  all  to  be  kept  for  life. 
The  ship  was  wrecked  off  the  rocks  yonder,  and  it  was 


An  Invitation  to  Court      309 

reported  that  every  soul  on  board  went  down,  but  I  es- 
caped--only  I,  —  for  what  inscrutable  reason  God  alone 
knows!  Finding  myself  saved  and  free,  I  devoted  my 
life  to  hard  work,  and  to  doing  all  the  good  1  could  think 
of  to  alone  —  to  atone  —  always  to  atone!  Then  the 
child  was  sent  to  me;  and  1  thought  it  was  a  sign  that 
my  penance  was  accepted  ;  but  no !  —  no !  —  the  compen- 
sating curse  falls,  —  not  on  me,  —  not  on  me,  for  if  only 
so,  I  would  welcome  it  —  but  on  Her !  —  the  child  of  my 
love  —  the  heart  of  my  heart !  —  on  Her  !  " 

He  turned  away  his  face,  and  a  hard  sob  broke  from 
his  labouring  chest.  Von  Glauben  laid  a  gentle,  protec- 
tive hand  on  his  shoulder. 

'  Ronsard,  be  a  man !  "  he  said  in  a  kind,  firm  voice ; 
'  This  is  the  first  time  you  have  told  me  your  true  history 
—  and  —  I  shall  respect  your  confidence !  You  have  suf- 
fered much  —  equally  you  have  loved  much!  Doubt  not 
that  you  are  forgiven  much.  But  why  should  you  as- 
sume, or  foresee  unhappiness  for  Gloria?  Why  talk  of 
a  curse  where  perhaps  there  is  only  an  intended  blessing  ? 
Is  she  unhappy,  that  you  are  thus  moved?  " 

Ronsard  furtively  dashed  away  the  tears  from  his  eyes. 

"  She  ?  Gloria  unhappy  ?  No,  —  not  yet !  The  de- 
lights of  spring  and  summer  have  met  in  her  smile,  —  her 
eyes,  her  movements !  It  was  she  herself  who  told  me 
all !     If  he  had  told  me,  I  would  have  killed  him !  " 

"Eminently  sensible!"  said  Von  Glauben,  recovering 
his  usual  phlegmatic  calm ;  '  You  would  have  killed  the 
man  she  loves  best  in  the  world.  And  so  with  perfect 
certainty  you  would  have  killed  her  as  well,  —  and  prob- 
ably yourself  afterwards.  A  perfect  slaughterhouse,  like 
the  last  scene  in  Hamlet,  by  the  so  admirable  Shake- 
speare !    It  is  better  as  it  is.    Life  is  really  very  pleasant ! " 

He  sniffed  the  perfumed  air,  —  listened  with  appre- 
ciation to  the  trilling  of  a  bird  swinging  on  a  bough  of 
apple-blossom  above  him.  and  began  to  feel  quite  easy 
in  his  mind.  Half  his  mission  was  done  for  him,  Prince 
Humphry  having  declared  himself  in  his  true  colours. 
"  I  always  said,"  mused  the  Professor,  "  that  he  was  a 
very  honest  young  man !  And  I  think  he  will  be  honest 
to  the  end."     Aloud  he  asked : 

"  When  did  you  know  the  truth?" 


310  "Temporal  Power 


•>* 


"  Some  clays  since,"  replied  Ronsard.  "  He  —  Gloria's 
husband — I  can  as  yet  call  him  by  no  other  name — came 
suddenly  one  evening ;  —  the  two  went  out  together  as 
usual,  and  then  —  then  my  child  returned  alone.  She 
told  me  all,  —  of  the  disguise  he  had  assumed  —  and  of 
his  real  identity  —  and  I  —  well !  I  think  I  was  mad !  I 
know  I  spoke  and  acted  like  a  madman !  " 

'  Nay,  rather  say  like  a  philosopher !  "  murmured  Von 
Glauben  with  a  humorous  smile ;  '  Remember,  my 
good  fellow,  that  there  is  no  human  being  who  loses 
self-control  more  easily  and  rapidly  than  he  who  pro- 
claims the  advantage  of  keeping  it !  And  what  did  Gloria 
say  to  you  ?  " 

Ronsard  looked  up  at  the  tranquil  skies,  and  was  for  a 
moment  silent.     Then  he  answered. 

"Gloria  is  —  just  Gloria!  There  is  no  woman  like 
her,  —  there  never  will  be  any  woman  like  her !  She 
said  nothing  at  all  while  I  raged  and  swore ;  —  she  stood 
before  me  white  and  silent,  —  grand  and  calm,  like  some 
great  angel.  Then  when  I  cursed  him, —  she  raised  her 
hand,  and  like  a  queen  she  said :  '  I  forbid  you  to  utter 
one  word  against  him !  '  I  stood  before  her  mute  and 
foolish.  '  I  forbid  you  !  '  She,  —  the  child  I  reared  and 
nurtured  —  menaced  me  with  her  '  command  '  as  though 
I  were  her  slave  and  servant !  You  see  I  have  lost  her ! 
—  she  is  not  mine  any  more  —  she  is  his —  to  be  treated 
as  he  wills,  and  made  the  toy  of  his  pleasure !  She  does 
not  know  the  world,  but  I  know  it !  I  know  the  misery 
that  is  in  store  for  her !  But  there  is  yet  time  —  and  I 
will  live  to  avenge  her  wrong!  " 

"  Possibly  there  will  be  no  wrong  to  avenge,"  said  Von 
Glauben  composedly ;  "  But  if  there  is,  I  have  no  doubt 
you  would  kill  another  king !  ''  Ronsard  turned  pale  and 
shuddered.  '  It  is  stupid  work,  killing  kings,"  went  on 
the  Professor ;  '  It  never  does  any  good  ;  and  often  in- 
creases the  evil  it  was  intended  to  cure.  Your  studies  in 
philosophy  must  have  taught  you  that  much  at  least !  As 
for  your  losing  Gloria,  —  you  lost  her  in  a  sense  when 
you  gave  her  to  her  husband.  Tt  is  no  use  complaining 
now,  because  you  find  he  is  not  the  man  you  took  him  for. 
The  mischief  is  done.  At  any  rate  you  are  bound  to 
admit  that  Gloria  has,  so  far,  been  perfectly  happy  ;    she 


An  Invitation  to  Court      3  1  1 

will  be  happy  still,  I  truly  believe,  for  she  has  the  secret 
of  happiness  in  her  own  beautiful  nature.  And  you, 
Ronsard,  must  make  the  best  of  things,  and  meet  fate 
with  calmness.  To-day,  for  instance,  I  am  here  by  the 
King's  command,  -  -  I  bear  his  orders,  —  and  1  have 
come  for  Gloria.     They  want  her  at  the  Palace." 

Ronsard  stepped  out  of  his  flower-border,  and  stood  on 
the  greensward  amazed,  and  indignantly  suspicious. 

"  They  want  her  at  the  Palace !  "  he  repeated  ;  '  Why  ? 
What-  for  ?  To  do  her  harm  ?  To  make  her  miserable  ? 
To  insult  and  threaten  her?     No,  she  shall  not  go!  " 

"  Look  here,  my  friend,"  said  the  Professor  with  mild 
patience  ;  "  You  have  —  for  a  philosopher  —  a  most  un- 
pleasant habit  of  jumping  to  wrong  conclusions!  Please 
endeavour  to  compose  the  tumult  in  your  soul,  and  listen 
to  me!  The  King  has  sent  for  Gloria,  and  I  am  in- 
structed to  take  charge  of  her,  and  escort  her  to  the  pres- 
ence of  their  Majesties.  No  insult,  no  threat,  no  wrong 
is  intended.  I  will  bring  her  back  again  safe  to  you  im- 
mediately the  audience  is  concluded.  Be  satisfied,  Ron- 
sard !  For  once  '  put  your  trust  in  princes,'  for  her 
husband  will  be  there, — and  do  you  think  he  would  suf- 
fer her  to  be  insulted  or  wronged  ?  " 

Ronsard's  sunken  eyes  looked  wild,  —  his  aged  frame 
trembled  violently,  and  he  gave  a  hopeless  gesture. 

"  I  do  not  know  —  - 1  do  not  know !  "  he  said  inco- 
herently;  "  I  am  an  old  man.  and  I  have  always  found  it 

a  wicked   world!     But if  you  give  me  your  word 

that  she  shall  come  to  no  harm.  I  will  trust  you!  " 

Silently  Von  Glauben  took  his  hand  and  pressed  it. 
Two  or  three  minutes  passed,  weighted  with  unuttered 
and  unutterable  thoughts  in  the  minds  of  both  men  ;  and 
then,  in  a  somewhat  hushed  voice,  the  Professor  said : 

"  Ronsard,  T  am  just  now  reminded  of  the  tragic  story 
of  Rudolf  of  Austria,  who  killed  himself  through  the 
maddening  sorrow  of  an  ill-fated  love !  We,  in  our  dif- 
ferent lines  of  life  should  remember  that, and  let  no 

young  innocent  heart  suffer  through  our  follies  —  our 
rages  against  fate  —  our  conventions  —  our  more  or  less 
idiotic  laws  of  restraint  and  hypocrisy.  The  tragedy  of 
Prince  Rudolf  and  the  unhappy  Marie  Vetsera  whom  he 
worshipped,  was  caused  by  the  sin  and  the  falsehood  of 


312  "Temporal  Power' 

others,  —  not  by  the  victims  of  the  cruel  catastrophe. 
Therefore,  I  say  to  you,  my  friend,  be  wise  in  time !  — 
and  control  the  natural  stormy  tendency  of  your  passions 
in  this  present  affair.  I  assure  you,  on  my  faith  and 
honour  as  a  man,  that  the  King  has  a  kindly  heart  and  a 
brave  one,  —  together  with  a  strong  sense  of  justice.  He 
is  not  truly  known  to  his  people ;  —  they  only  see  him 
through  the  pens  of  press  reporters,  or  the  slavish  de- 
scriptions of  toadies  and  parasites.  Then  again,  the 
Crown  Prince  is  an  honourable  lad ;  and  from  what  I 
know  of  him,  he  is  not  likely  to  submit  to  conventional 
usages  in  matters  which  are  close  to  his  life  and  heart. 
Gloria  herself  is  of  such  an  exceptional  character  and  dis- 
position, that  I  think  she  may  be  safely  left  to  arbitrate 
her  own  destiny " 

''And  the  Queen?"  interrupted  Ronsard  suddenly;  — 
"  She,  at  any  rate,  as  a  woman,  wife  and  mother,  will  be 
gentle?  " 

"  Gentle,  she  certainly  is,"  said  Von  Glauben,  with  a 
slight  sigh ;  "  But  only  because  she  does  not  consider  it 
worth  while  to  be  otherwise !  God  has  put  a  stone  in  the 
place  where  her  heart  should  be !  However,  —  she  will 
have  little  to  say,  and  still  less  to  do  with  to-day's  busi- 
ness. You  tell  me  you  will  trust  me ;  I  promise  you,  you 
shall  not  repent  your  trust !  But  I  must  see  Gloria  her- 
self.    Where  is  she?" 

Ronsard  pointed  towards  the  cottage. 

"  She  is  in  there,  studying,"  he  said ;  "  Books  of  the 
old  time ;  —  books  that  few  read.  She  gets  them  all 
from  Sergius  Thord.  How  would  it  be,  think  you,  if  he 
knew  ?  " 

The  pleasantly  rubicund  countenance  of  the  Professor 
grew  a  shade  paler. 

'"Sergius  Thord  —  Sergius  Thord?  —  H'm  —  h'm  — 
let  me  see !  —  who  is  he?  Ah  !  I  remember,  —  he  is  the 
Socialist  lion,  for  ever  roaring  through  the  streets  and 
seeking  whom  he  may  devour !  I  daresay  he  is  not  with- 
out cleverness  !  " 

"Cleverness!"  echoed  Ronsard;  "That  is  a  tame 
word!  He  has  genius,  and  the  people  swear  by  him. 
Since  the  proposed  new  taxation,  and  other  injustices  of 
the  Government,  he  has  gained  adherents  by  many  thou- 


An  Invitation  to  Court      313 

sands.  You,  —  whom  I  once  took  to  be  a  mere  German 
schoolmaster,  a  friend  of  the  young  '  sailor  '  whom  my 
child  so  innocently  wedded,  —  you  whom  1  now  know  to 
be  the  King's  physician  —  surely  you  cannot  live  on  the 
mainland,  and  in  the  metropolis,  without  knowing  of  the 
power  of  Sergius  Thord  ?  " 

'I  know  something  —  not  much;"  replied  the  Pro- 
fessor guardedly ;  '  But  come,  my  friend,  1  have  not  de- 
ceived you !  I  was  in  very  truth  a  poor  '  German  school- 
master,' once,  —  before  I  became  a  student  of  medicine 
and  surgery.  And  that  I  am  the  King's  physician,  is 
merely  one  of  those  accidental  circumstances  which  occur 
in  a  world  of  chance.  But  schoolmaster  as  I  have  been, 
I  doubt  if  I  would  set  our  '  Glory-of-the-Sea  '  to  study 
books  recommended  to  her  by  Sergius  Thord.  The 
poetry  of  Heine  is  more  suitable  to  her  age  and  sex. 
Let  us  break  in  upon  her  meditations."  And  he  walked 
across  the  grass  with  one  arm  thrust  through  that  of 
Ronsarcl ;  "  For  she  must  prepare  herself.  We  ought 
to  be  gone  within  an  hour." 

They  passed  under  the  low,  rose-covered  porch  into  a 
wide  square  room,  with  raftered  ceiling  and  deep  carved 
oak  ingle  nook,  —  and  here  at  the  table,  with  a  quarto 
volume  opened  out  before  her,  sat  Gloria,  resting  her 
head  on  one  fair  hand,  her  rich  hair  falling  about  her  in 
loose  shining  tresses,  and  her  whole  attitude  expressive 
of  the  deepest  absorption  in  study.  As  they  entered,  she 
looked  up  and  smiled,  —  then  rose,  her  hand  still  resting 
on  the  open  book. 

"  At  last  you  have  come  again,  dear  Professor !  "  she 
said ;  '  I  began  to  think  you  had  grown  weary  in  well- 
doing! " 

Von  Glauben  stared  at  her,  stricken  speechless  for  a 
moment.  What  mysterious  change  had  passed  over  the 
girl,  investing  her  with  such  an  air  of  regal  authority? 
It  was  impossible  to  say.  To  all  appearance  she  was  the 
same  beautiful  creature,  clad  in  the  same  simple  white 
homespun  gown,  —  yet  were  she  Empress  of  half  the 
habitable  globe,  she  could  not  have  looked  more  envi- 
roned with  dignity,  sweetness  and  delicately  gracious 
manner.  He  understood  the  desolating  expression  of 
Ronsard,  — '  You  see  I  have  lost  her !  —  she  is  not  mine 


If 


314  "Temporal  Power 

any  more  - —  she  is  his ! '  He  recognised  and  was  sud- 
denly impressed  by  that  fact; — she  was  '  his  ' — the  wife 
of  the  Crown  Prince  and  Heir-Apparent  to  the  Throne; 
—  and  evidently  with  the  knowledge  of  her  position  had 
arisen  the  pride  of  love  and  the  spirit  of  grace  to  support 
her  honours  worthily.  And  so,  as  Von  Glauben  met  her 
eyes,  which  expressed  their  gentle  wonder  at  his  silence, 
and  as  she  extended  her  hand  to  him,  he  came  slowly  for- 
ward and  bowing  low,  respectfully  kissed  that  hand. 

'  Princess,"  he  said,  in  a  voice  that  trembled  ever  so 
slightly ;  "  I  shall  never  be  weary  in  well-doing,  —  if  you 
are  good  enough  to  call  my  service  and  friendship  for  you 
by  that  name !  I  hesitated  to  come  before,  —  because  I 
thought I  feared I  did  not  know ! " 

"  I  understand !  "  said  Gloria  tranquilly ;  "  You  did  not 
think  the  Prince,  my  husband,  would  tell  me  the  truth  so 
soon  !  But  I  know  all,  and  now  —  I  am  glad  to  know  it ! 
Dearest,"  and  she  moved  swiftly  to  Ronsard  who  was 
standing  silent  in  the  doorway  —  "  come  in  and  sit  down ! 
You  make  yourself  so  tired  sometimes  in  the  garden ;  " 
and  she  threw  a  loving  arm  about  him.  '  You  must  rest ; 
you  look  so  pale !  " 

For  all  answer,  he  lifted  the  hand  that  hung  about  his 
neck,  to  his  lips  and  kissed  it  tenderly. 

'  They    want    you,    Gloria ! "    he    said    tremulously ; 
'  They  want  you  at  the  Palace.     You  must  go  to-dav !  " 

She  lifted  her  brilliant  eyes  enquiringly  to  Von 
Glauben,  who  responded  to  the  look  by  at  once  explain- 
ing his  mission.  He  was  there,  he  said,  by  the  King's 
special  command;  —  their  Majesties  had  been  informed 
of  their  son's  marriage  by  their  son  himself ;  and  they 
desired  at  once  to  see  and  speak  with  their  unknown 
daughter-in-law.  The  interview  would  be  private ;  his 
Royal  Highness  the  Crown  Prince  would  be  present ;  — 
it  might  last  an  hour,  perhaps  longer,  —  and  he.  Von 
Glauben,  was  entrusted  to  bring  Gloria  to  the  Palace, 
and  escort  her  back  to  The  Islands  again  when  all  was 
over.  Thus,  with  elaborate  and  detailed  courtesy,  the 
Professor  unfolded  the  nature  of  his  enterprise,  while 
Gloria,  still  keeping  one  arm  round  Ronsard,  heard  and 
smiled. 

'  I  shall  obey  the  King's  command !  "  she  said  com- 


An  Invitation  to  Court       315 

posedly;  "  Though,  --  having  no  word  from  the  Prince, 
my  husband,  concerning-  this  mandate,  -  -  I  might  very 
well  refuse  to  do  so!  But  it  may  be  as  well  that  their 
Majesties  and  their  son's  wife  should  plainly,  and  once 
for  all,  understand  each  other.  Dear  Professor,  you  look 
sadly  troubled!  Is  there  some  little  convention,  some 
special  ceremonial  of  so-called  '  good  manners,'  which 
you  are  commissioned  to  teach  me,  before  I  make  my 
appearance  at  Court  under  your  escort?' 

Her  lovely  lips  smiled, --her  eyes  laughed, --she 
looked  the  very  incarnation  of  Beauty  triumphant.  Von 
Glauben's  brain  whirled, — he  felt  bewitched  and  dazzled. 

"I?  —  to  teach  yon  anything?  No,  my  princess!  — 
and  please  think  how  loyally  I  have  called  you  '  Princess  ' 
from  the  beginning !  -  -  I  have  always  told  you  that  you 
have  a  spiritual  knowledge  far  surpassing  all  material 
wisdom.     Conventions  and  ceremonials  are  not  for  you, 

—  you  will  make  fashion,  not  follow  it!  I  am  not 
troubled,  save  for  your  sake,  dear  child!  —  for  you  know 
nothing  of  the  world,  and  the  ways  of  the  Court  may  af 
first  offend  you " 

"  The  ways  of  Hell  must  have  seemed  dark  to  Proser- 
pine," said  'Ronsard  in  his  harsh,  strong  voice ;  '  But 
Love  gave  her  light!  " 

"A  very  just  reminder! "  said  Von  Glauben,  well 
pleased ;  —  "  Consider  Gloria  to  be  the  new  Proserpine 
to-day!  And  now  she  must  forgive  me  for  playing  the 
part  of  a  tyrannical  friend,  and  urging  her  to  hasten  her 
preparations." 

Gloria  bent  down  and  kissed  Ronsard  gently. 

"  Trust  me,  little  father  !  "  she  whispered  ;  '  You  have 
not  taught  me  great  lessons  of  truth  in  vain !  " 

Aloud  she  said. 

"  The  King  and  Queen  wish  to  see  me  and  speak  with 
me,  —  and  I  know  the  reason  why!  They  desire  to  fully 
explain  to  me  all  that  my  husband  has  already  told  me, 

—  which  is  that  according  to  the  rules  made  for  mon- 
archs,  our  marriage  is  inadmissible.  Well !  —  I  have  my 
answer  ready;  and  you,  Professor,  shall  hear  me  give  it! 
Wait  but  a  few  moments  and  I  will  come  with  you." 

She  left  the  room.  The  two  men  looked  at  each  other 
in  silence.     At  last  Von  Glauben  said  :  — 


3 1  6         "  Temporal  Power  ' 

'•  Ronsard,  I  think  you  will  soon  reap  the  reward  of 

your  '  life-philosophy  '  system !     Von  have  fed  that  girl 

from    her    childhood    on    strong-    intellectual    food,    and 

trained  the  mental  muscles  rather  than  the  physical  ones. 

m  my  word.  I  believe  you  will  see  a  good  result!  " 

Ronsard.  who  had  grown  much  calmer  and  quieter 
during  the  last  few  minutes,  raised  himself  a  little  from 
the  chair  into  which  he  had  sunk  with  an  air  of  fatigue, 
and  looked  dreamily  towards  the  open  lattice  window, 
where  the  roses  hung  in  a  curtain  of  crimson  blossom. 

"  If  it  be  so,  I  shall  praise  God!  "  he  said:  "  But  the 
years  have  come  and  gone  with  me  so  peacefully  since 
I  made  my  home  on  these  quiet  shores,  that  the  exer- 
cise of  wliat  I  have  presumed  to  call  *  philosophy  '  has 
had  no   chance.      Philosophy!      It   is   well   to  preach   it. 

—  but  when  the  blow  of  misfortune  falls,  who  can  prac- 
tise it  ?  " 

'"You  can."  replied  the  Professor:  —  "  I  can!  Gloria 
can !  I  think  we  all  three  have  clear  brains.  There  is  a 
tendency  in  the  present  age  to  overlook  and  neglect  the 
greatest  power  in  the  whole  human  composition,  —  the 
mental  and  psychical  part  of  it.  Xow.  in  the  present 
curious  drama  of  events,  we  have  a  chance  given  to  exer- 
cise it :  and  it  will  be  our  own  faults  if  we  do  not  make 
our  wills  rule  our  destinies  ' 

"  But  the  position  is  intolerable  —  impossible  !  *  said 
Ronsard.  rising  and  pacing  the  room  with  a  fresh  touch 
of  agitation.  "  Nothing  can  do  away  with  the  fact  that 
we— my  child  and  I — have  been  cruelly  deceived!  And 
now  there  can  be  only  one  of  two  contingencies  :  Gloria 
must  be  acknowledged  as  the  Prince's  wife.  —  in  which 
case  he  will  be  forced  to  resign  all  claim  to  the  Throne  : 

—  or  he  must  marry  again,  which  makes  her  no  wife  at 
all.  That  is  a  disgrace  her  pride  would  never  sub- 
mit to.  nor  mine:  —  for  did  I  not  kill  a  king?  ' 

"  Let  me  advise  you  for  the  future  not  to  allude  to  that 
disagreeable  incident !  "  said  Yon  Glauben  persuasively : 
"  Exercise  discretion.  —  as  I  do !  Observe  that  I  do  not 
ask  you  what  king  you  killed :  —  I  am  as  careful  on  that 
matter  as  I  am  coneerr.incr  the  reasons  for  which  I  my- 
self left  my  native  Fatherland !  I  make  it  a  rule  never  to 
converse  on  painful  subjects.    You  tell  me  you  have  tried 


An  Invitation  to  Court      317 

to  atone ;  then  believe  that  the  atonement  is  made,  and 
that  Gloria  is  the  sign  of  its  acceptance,  and  —  happy 
augury!  —  here  she  corner" 

They  both  instinctively  turned  to  confront  the  girl  as 
she  entered.  She  had  changed  her  ordinary  white  home- 
spun gown  for  another  of  the  same  kind,  equally  simple, 
but  fresh  and  unworn  ;  her  glorious  bronze-chestnut  hair 
was  unbound  to  its  full  rippling  length,  and  was  held 
back  by  a  band  or  fillet  of  curiously  carved  white  coral, 
which  surmounted  the  rich  tresses  somewhat  in  the  fash- 
ion of  a  small  crown,  and  she  carried,  thrown  over  one 
arm,  the  only  kind  of  cloak  she  ever  wore,  —  a  burnous- 
like wrap  of  the  same  white  homespun  as  her  dress, 
with  a  hood,  which,  as  the  Professor  slowly  took  out  his 
glasses  and  fixed  them  on  his  nose  out  of  mere  mechani- 
cal habit,  to  look  at  her  more  closely,  she  drew  over  her 
head  and  shoulders,  the  soft  folds  about  her  exquisite  face 
completing  a  classic  picture  of  such  radiant  beauty  as  is 
seldom  seen  nowadays  among  the  increasingly  imperfect 
and  repulsive  specimens  of  female  humanity  which  'prog- 
ress '  combined  with  sensuality,  produce  for  the  '  ad- 
vancement '  of  the  race. 

"  I  have  no  Court  dress,"  she  said  smiling:  "  And  if  I 
had  I  should  not  wear  it !  The  King  and  Queen  shall  see 
me  as  my  husband  sees  me,  —  what  pleases  him,  must 
suffice  to  please  them !     I  am  quite  read}- !  " 

Yon  Glauben  removed  the  spectacles  he  had  needlessly 
put  on.  They  were  dim  with  a  moisture  which  he  fur- 
tively polished  off.  blinking  his  eyes  meanwhile  as  if  the 
light  hurt  him.  He  was  profoundly  moved  —  thrilled  to 
the  very  core  of  his  soul  by  the  simplicity,  frankness  and 
courage  of  this  girl  whose  education  was  chiefly  out  of 
wild  Nature's  lesson-book,  and  who  knew  nothing  of  the 
artificial  world  of  fashion. 

"  And  I,  my  princess,  am  at  your  sendee !  "  he  said ; 
"  Ronsard.  it  is  but  a  few  hours  that  we  shall  be  absent. 
To-night  with  the  rising  of  the  moon  we  shall  return,  and 
I  doubt  not  with  the  Prince  himself  as  chief  escort !  Keep 
a  good  heart  and  have  faith !     All  will  be  well !  " 

"  All  shall  be  well  if  Love  can  make  it  so !  "  said  Ron- 
sard  :  —  "Gloria  —  my   child !"      He   held   out  his 

wrinkled  hands  pathetically,   unable  to  say  more.     She 


3  1 8  "Temporal  Power' 

sank  on  her  knees  before  him,  and  tenderly  drawing  down 
those  hands  upon  her  head,  pressed  them  closely  there. 

"  Your  blessing,  dearest !  "  she  said ;  "  Not  in  speech 
—  but  in  thought !  " 

There  was  a  moment's  sacred  silence ;  —  then  Gloria 
rose,  and  throwing  her  arms  round  the  old  man,  the  faith- 
ful protector  of  her  infancy  and  girlhood,  kissed  him  ten- 
derly. After  that,  she  seemed  to  throw  all  seriousness  to 
the  winds,  and  running  out  under  the  roses  of  the  porch 
made  two  or  three  light  dancing  steps  across  the  lawn. 

"  Come ! "  she  cried,  her  eyes  sparkling,  her  face  radiant 
with  the  gaiety  of  her  inward  spirit;  "  Come,  Professor! 
This  is  not  what  we  call  a  poet's  day  of  dreams,  —  it  is  a 
Royal  day  of  nonsense !  Come !  "  and  here  she  drew  her- 
self up  with  a  stately  air  —  "WE  are  prepared  to  con- 
front the  King !  " 

The  Professor  caught  the  infection  of  her  mirth,  and 
quickly  followed  her ;  and  within  the  next  half-hour  Rene 
Ronsard,  climbing  slowly  to  the  summit  of  one  of  the 
nearest  rocks  on  the  shore  adjacent  to  his  dwelling, 
shaded  his  eyes  from  the  dazzling  sunlight  on  the  sea, 
and  strained  them  to  watch  the  magnificent  Royal  yacht 
steaming  swiftly  over  the  tranquil  blue  water,  with  one 
slight  figure  clad  in  white  leaning  against  the  mast,  a 
figure  that  waved  its  hand  fondly  towards  The  Islands, 
and  of  whom  it  might  have  been  said : 

"  Her  gaze  was  glad  past  love's  own  singing  of, 
And  her  face  lovely  past  desire  of  love!  " 


CHAPTER    XXII 


A    FAIR    DEBUTANTE 


THAT  same  afternoon  there  was  a  mysterious  com- 
motion at  the  Palace,  —  whispers  ran  from  lip  to 
lip  among  the  few  who  had  seen  her,  that  a  beautiful 
woman,  —  lovelier  than  the  Queen  herself,  —  had,  under 
the  escort  of  the  uncommunicative  Professor  von  Glauben, 
passed  into  the  presence  of  the  King  and  Queen,  to  re- 
ceive the  honour  of  a  private  audience.  Who  was  she? 
What  was  she?  Where  did  she  come  from?  How  was 
she  dressed?  This  last  question  was  answered  first,  being 
easiest  to  deal  with.  She  was  attired  all  in  white,  —  '  like 
a  picture  '  said  some  —  '  like  a  statue  '  said  others.  No 
one,  however,  dared  ask  any  direct  question  concerning 
her,  —  her  reception,  whoever  she  was,  being  of  a  strictly 
guarded  nature,  and  peremptory  orders  having  been  given 
to  admit  no  one  to  the  Queen's  presence-chamber,  to 
which  apartment  she  had  been  taken  by  the  King's  phy- 
sician. But  such  dazzling  beauty  as  hers  could  not  go 
altogether  unnoticed  by  the  most  casual  attendant,  senti- 
nel, or  lord-in-waiting,  and  the  very  fact  that  special  com- 
mands had  been  issued  to  guard  all  the  doors  of  entrance 
to  the  Royal  apartments  on  either  hand,  during  her  visit, 
only  served  to  pique  and  inflame  the  general  curiosity. 

Meantime,  —  while  lesser  and  inferior  personages  were 
commenting  on  the  possibility  of  the  unknown  fair  one 
being  concerned  with  some  dramatic  incident  that  might 
have  to  be  included  among  the  King's  numerous  gal- 
lantries, —  the  unconscious  subject  of  their  discussion 
was  quietly  seated  alone  in  an  ante-room  adjoining  the 
Queen's  apartments,  waiting  till  Professor  von  Glauben 
should  announce  that  their  Majesties  were  ready  to  re- 
ceive her.  She  was  not  troubled  or  anxious,  or  in  any 
way  ill  at  ease.  She  looked  curiously  upon  the  splendid 
evidences  of  Royal  state,  wealth  and  luxury  which  sur- 


320  "Temporal  Power" 

rounded  her,  with  artistic  appreciation  but  no  envy.  She 
caught  sight  of  her  own  face  and  figure  in  a  tall  mirror 
opposite  to  her,  set  in  a  silver  frame ;  and  she  studied 
herself  quietly  and  critically  with  the  calm  knowledge 
that  there  was  nothing  to  deplore  or  to  regret  in  the  way 
God  and  Nature  had  been  pleased  to  make  her.  She  was 
not  in  the  slightest  degree  vain,  —  but  she  knew  that  a 
healthy  and  quiet  mind  in  a  healthy  and  unspoilt  body, 
together  form  what  is  understood  as  the  highest  beauty, 

—  and  that  these  two  elements  were  not  lacking:  in  her. 
Moreover,  she  was  conscious  of  a  great  love  warming  her 
heart  and  strengthening  her  soul,  —  and  with  this  great 
motive-force  to  brace  her  nerves  and  add  extra  charm  to 
her  natural  loveliness,  she  had  no  fear.  She  had  enjoyed 
the  swift  voyage  across  the  sparkling  sea,  and  the  fresh 
air  had  made  her  eyes  doubly  lustrous,  her  complexion 
even  more  than  usually  fair  and  brilliant.  She  did  not 
permit  herself  to  be  rendered  unhappy  or  anxious  as  to 
the  possible  attitude  of  the  King  and  Queen  towards  her, 

—  she  was  prepared  for  all  contingencies,  and  had  fully 
made  up  her  mind  what  to  say.  Therefore,  there  was  no 
need  to  fret  over  the  position,  or  to  be  timorously  con- 
cerned because  she  was  called  upon  to  confront  those  who 
by  human  law  alone  were  made  superior  in  rank  to  the 
rest  of  mankind. 

'  In  God's  sight  all  men  are  equal !  "  she  said  to  her- 
self ;  '  The  King  is  a  mere  helpless  babe  at  birth,  depen- 
dant on  others,  —  as  he  is  a  mere  helpless  corpse  at  death. 
It  is  only  men's  own  foolish  ideas  and  conventions  of 
usage  in  life  that  make  any  difference!  " 

At  that  moment  the  Professor  entered  hurriedly,  and 
impulsively  seizing  her  hands  in  his  own,  kissed  them  and 
pressed  them  tenderly.  His  face  was  flushed  —  he  was 
evidently  strongly  excited. 

"  Go  in  there  now,  Princess !  "  he  whispered,  pointing 
to  the  adjacent  room,  of  which  the  door  stood  ajar;  "And 
may  God  'be  on  your  side !  " 

She  rose  up,  and  releasing  her  hands  gently  from  his 
nervous  grasp,  smiled. 

"  Do  not  be  afraid ! "  she  said ;  '  You,  too,  are 
coming  ?  " 

"  I  follow  you !  "  he  replied. 


A  Fair  Debutante  321 

And  to  himself  he  said  :  "  Ach,  Gott  in  Himmel !  Will 
she  keep  her  so  beautiful  calm  ?  If  she  will  —  if  she  can 
—  a  throne  would  be  well  lost  for  such  a  woman !  " 

And  he  watched  her  with  an  admiration  amounting  al- 
most to  fear,  as  she  passed  before  him  and  entered  the 
Royal  presence-chamber  with  a  proud  light  step,  a  grace 
of  bearing  and  a  supreme  distinction,  which,  had  she  been 
there  on  a  day  of  diplomatic  receptions,  would  have  made 
half  the  women  accustomed  to  attend  Court,  look  like  the 
merest  vulgar  plebeians. 

The  room  she  entered  was  very  large  and  lofty.  A 
dazzle  of  gold  ceiling,  painted  walls  and  mirrors  flashed 
upon  her  eyes,  with  the  hue  of  silken  curtains  and  em- 
broidered hangings,  - —  the  heavy  perfume  of  hundreds  of 
flowers  in  tall  crystal  vases  and  wide  gilded  stands  made 
the  air  drowsy  and  odorous,  and  for  a  moment,  Gloria, 
just  fresh  from  the  sweet  breath  of  the  sea,  felt  sickened 
and  giddy,  —  but  she  recovered  quickly,  and  raised  her 
eyes  fearlessly  to  the  two  motionless  figures,  which,  like 
idols  set  in  a  temple  for  worship,  waited  her  approach. 
The  King,  stiffly  upright,  and  arrayed  in  military  uni- 
form, stood  near  the  Queen,  who  was  seated  in  a  throne- 
like chair  over-canopied  with  gold,  —  her  trailing  robes 
were  of  a  pale  azure  hue  bordered  with  ermine,  and 
touched  here  and  there  with  silver,  giving  out  reflexes 
of  light,  stolen  as  it  seemed  from  the  sea  and  sky,  —  and 
her  beautiful  face,  with  its  clear-cut  features  and  cold 
pallor,  might  have  been  carved  out  of  ivory,  for  all  the 
interest  or  emotion  expressed  upon  it.  Gloria  came 
straight  towards  her,  then  stopped.  With  her  erect 
supple  form,  proud  head  and  fair  features,  she  looked 
the  living  embodiment  of  sovereign  womanhood,  —  and 
the  Queen,  meeting  the  full  starry  glance  of  her  eyes, 
stirred  among  her  Royal  draperies,  and  raised  herself 
with  a  slow  graceful  air  of  critical  observation,  in  which 
there  was  a  touch  of  languid  wonder  mingled  with  con- 
tempt. Still  Gloria  stood  motionless,  —  neither  abashed 
nor  intimidated,  —  she  made  no  curtsey  or  reverential 
salutation  of  any  kind,  and  presently  removing  her  gaze 
from  the  Queen,  she  turned  to  the  King. 

"  You  sent  for  me,"   she  said ;    "  And   I  have  come. 

What  do  you  want  with  me?" 

21 


322  "Temporal  Power' 

The  King  smiled.  What  a  dazzling  Perfection  was 
here,  he  thought !  A  second  Una  unarmed,  and  strong 
in  the  courage  of  innocence !  But  he  was  acting  a  special 
part,  and  he  determined  to  play  it  well  and  thoroughly. 
So  he  gave  her  no  reply,  but  turned  with  a  stiff  air  to  Von 
Glauben. 

"  Tell  the  girl  to  make  her  obeisance  to  the  Queen !  " 
he  said. 

The  Professor  very  reluctantly  approached  the  '  Glory- 
of-the-Sea  '  with  this  suggestion,  cautiously  whispered. 
Gloria  obeyed  at  once.  Moving  swiftly  to  the  Queen's 
chair,  she  bent  low  before  her. 

'  Madam !  "  she  said,  "  I  am  told  to  kneel  to  you,  be- 
cause you  are  the  Queen,  —  but  it  is  not  for  that  I  do  so. 
I  kneel,  because  you  are  my  husband's  mother !  " 

And  raising  the  cold  impassive  hand  covered  with 
great  gems,  that  rested  idly  on  the  rich  velvets  so  near  to 
her  touch,  she  gently  kissed  it,  —  then  rose  up  to  her  full 
height  again. 

"  Is  it  always  like  this  here?  "  she  asked,  gazing  around 
her.  "  Do  you  always  sit  thus  in  a  chair,  dressed  grandly 
and  quite  silent  ?  " 

The  smile  deepened  on  the  King's  face ;  the  Queen, 
perforce  moved  at  last  from  her  inertia,  half  rose  with  an 
air  of  amazement  and  indignation,  and  Von  Glauben 
barely  saved  himself  from  laughing  outright. 

'  You,"  continued  Gloria,  fixing  her  bright  glance  on 
the  King ;  "  You  have  seen  me  before !  You  have  spoken 
to  me.  Then  why  do  you  pretend  not  to  know  me  now? 
Is  that  Court  manners?  If  so,  they  are  not  good  or 
kind!" 

The  King  relaxed  his  formal  attitude,  and  addressed 
his  Consort  in  a  low  tone. 

'  It  is  no  use  dealing  with  this  girl  in  the  conventional 
way,"  he  said ;  '"  She  is  a  mere  child  at  heart,  simple  and 
uneducated;  —  we  must  treat  her  as  such.  Perhaps  you 
will  speak  to  her  first?  " 

"  No,  Sir,  I  much  prefer  that  you  should  do  so,"  she 
replied.  '  When  I  have  heard  her  answers  to  you,  it  will 
be  perhaps  my  turn !  " 

Thereupon  the  King  advanced  a  step  or  two,  and 
Gloria  regarded  him  steadfastly.     Meeting  the  pure  light 


A  Fair  Debutante  323 

of  those  lovely  eyes,  he  lost  something  of  his  ordinary 
self-possession,  —  he  was  conscious  of  a  certain  sense 
of  embarrassment  and  foolishness ;  —  his  very  uniform, 
ablaze  with  gold  and  jewelled  orders,  seemed  a  clown's 
costume  compared  with  the  classic  simplicity  of  Gloria's 
homespun  garb,  which  might  have  fitly  clothed  a  Greek 
goddess.  Sensible  of  his  nervous  irritation,  he  however 
overcame  it  by  an  effort,  and  summoning  all  his  dignity, 
he  'graciously,'  as  the  newspaper  parasites  put  it,  extended 
his  hand.     Gloria  smiled  archly. 

"  I  kissed  your  hand  the  other  day  when  you  were 
cross!''  she  said;  "You  would  like  it  kissed  again? 
There!" 

And  with  easy  grace  of  gesture  she  pressed  her  lips 
lightly  upon  it.  It  would  have  needed  something  stronger 
than  mere  flesh  and  blood  to  resist  the  natural  playfulness 
and  charm  of  her  action,  combined  with  her  unparalleled 
beauty,  and  the  King,  who  was  daily  and  hourly  proving 
for  himself  the  power  and  intensity  of  that  Spirit  of  Man 
which  makes  clamour  for  higher  things  than  Man's  con- 
ventionalities, became  for  the  moment  as  helplessly  over- 
whelmed and  defeated  by  a  woman's  smile,  a  woman's 
eyes,  as  any  hero  of  old  times,  whose  conquests  have  been 
reported  to  us  in  history  as  achieved  for  the  sake  of 
love  and  beauty.  But  he  was  compelled  to  disguise  his 
thoughts,  and  to  maintain  an  outward  expression  of  for- 
mality, particularly  in  the  presence  of  his  Queen-Con- 
sort, - —  and  he  withdrew  the  hand  that  bore  her  soft  kiss 
upon  it  with  a  well-simulated  air  of  chill  tolerance.  Then 
he  spoke  gravely,  in  measured  precise  accents. 

"  Gloria  Ronsard,  we  have  sent  for  you  in  all  kindness," 
he  said ;  "  out  of  a  sincere  wish  to  remedy  any  wrong 
which  our  son,  the  Crown  Prince  has,  in  the  light  folly 
and  hot  impulse  of  his  youth,  done  to  you  in  your  life. 
We  are  given  to  understand  that  there  is  a  boy-and-girl 
attachment  between  you ;  that  he  won  your  attachment 
under  a  disguised  identity,  and  that  you  were  thus  inno- 
cently deceived,  —  and  that,  in  order  to  satisfy  his  own 
honourable  scruples,  as  well  as  your  sense  of  maidenly 
virtue,  he  has,  still  under  a  disguise,  gone  through  the 
ceremony  of  marriage  with  you.  Therefore,  it  seems  that 
you  now  imagine  yourself  to  be  his  lawful  wife.    This  is 


I 

324  "Temporal  Power' 

a  very  natural  mistake  for  a  girl  to  make  who  is  as  young 
and  inexperienced  as  you  are,  and  I  am  sorry,  —  very 
sorry  for  the  false  position  in  which  my  son  the  Crown 
Prince  has  so  thoughtlessly  placed  you.  But,  after  very 
earnest  consideration,  I,  —  and  the  Queen  also,  —  think  it 
much  better  for  you  to  know  the  truth  at  once,  so  that  you 
may  fully  realize  the  situation,  and  then,  by  the  exercise 
of  a  little  common  sense,  spare  yourself  any  further  delu- 
sion and  pain.  All  we  can  do  to  repair  the  evil,  you  may 
rest  assured  shall  be  done.  But  you  must  thoroughly 
understand  that  the  Crown  Prince,  as  heir  to  the  Throne, 
cannot  marry  out  of  his  own  station.  If  he  should  pre- 
sume to  do  so,  through  some  mad  and  hot-headed  impulse, 
such  a  marriage  is  not  admitted  or  agreed  to  by  the 
nation.  Thus  you  will  see  plainly  that,  though  you  have 
gone  through  the  marriage  ceremony  with  him,  that 
counts  as  nothing  in  your  case,  —  for,  according  to  the 
law  of  the  realm,  and  in  the  sight  of  the  world,  you  are 
not,  and  cannot  be  his  wife !  " 

Gloria  raised  her  deep  bright  eyes  and  smiled. 

"  No  ? "  she  said,  and  then  was  silent. 

The  King  regarded  her  with  surprise,  and  a  touch  of 
anger.  He  had  expected  tears,  passionate  declamations, 
and  reiterated  assurances  of  the  unalterable  and  indis- 
soluble tie  between  herself  and  her  lover,  but  this  little 
indifferently-queried  "  No?"  upset  all  his  calculations. 

"''  Have  you  nothing  to  say  ? "  he  asked,  somewhat  sternly. 

'What  should  I  say?"  she  responded,  still  smiling; 
"  You  are  the  King ;   it  is  for  you  to  speak !  " 

"  She  does  not  understand  you,  Sir,"  interrupted  the 
Queen  coldly ;  '  Your  words  are  possibly  too  elaborate 
for  her  simple  comprehension !  " 

Gloria  turned  a  fearless  beautiful  glance  upon  her. 

'  Pardon  me,  Madam,  but  I  do  understand !  "  she  said ; 
"  I  understand  that  by  the  law  of  God  I  am  your  son's 
wife,  and  that  by  the  law  of  the  world  I  am  no  wife!  I 
abide  by  the  law  of  God !  " 

There  was  a  moment's  dead  silence.  Professor  von 
Glauben  gave  a  discreet  cough  to  break  it,  and  the  King, 
reminded  of  his  presence  turned  towards  him. 

"  Has  she  no  sense  of  the  position  ?  "  he  demanded. 

"  Sir,  I  have  every  reason  to  believe  that  she  grasps  it 


A  Fair  Debutante  325 

thoroughly !  ';  replied  Von  Glauben  with  a  deferential 
bow. 

"  Then  why " 

But  here  he  was  again  interrupted  by  the  Queen.  She, 
raising  herself  in  her  chair,  her  beautiful  head  and  shoul- 
ders lifted  statue-like  from  her  enshrining  draperies  of 
azure  and  white,  stretched  forth  a  hand  and  beckoned 
Gloria  towards  her. 

"  Come  here,  child !  "  she  said ;  then  as  Gloria  ad- 
vanced with  evident  reluctance,  she  added  ;  "  Come  closer 

—  you  must  not  be  afraid  of  me !  " 
Gloria  smiled. 

"  Nay,  Madam,  trouble  not  yourself  at  all  in  that 
regard  !    I  never  was  afraid  of  anyone !  " 

A  shadow  of  annoyance  darkened  the  Queen's  fair 
brows. 

"  Since  you  have  no  fear,  you  may  equally  have  no 
shame !  "  she  said  in  icy-cold  accents ;  '  Therefore  it  is 
easy  to  understand  why  you  deliberately  refuse  to  see  the 
harm  and  cruelty  done  to  our  son,  the  Crown  Prince,  by 
his  marriage  with  you,  if  such  marriage  were  in  the  least 
admissible,  which  fortunately  for  all  concerned,  it  is  not. 
He  is  destined  to  occupy  the  Throne,  and  he  must  wed 
someone  who  is  fit  to  share  it.  Kings  and  princes  may 
love  where  they  choose,  —  but  they  can  only  marry  where 
they  must !  You  are  my  son's  first  love  ;  —  the  thought 
and  memory  of  that  may  perhaps  be  a  consolation  to  you, 

—  but  do  not  assume  that  you  will  be  his  last !  " 

Gloria  drew  back  from  her ;   her  face  had  paled  a  little. 

"  You  can  speak  so!  "  she  said  sorrowfully;  '  You,  — 
his  mother !  Poor  Queen  —  poor  woman  !  I  am  sorry 
for  you !  " 

Without  pausing  to  notice  the  crimson  flush  of  vexation 
that  flew  over  the  Queen's  delicate  face  at  her  words,  she 
turned,  now  with  some  haughtiness,  to  the  King. 

"  Speak  plainly !  "  she  said ;  "  What  is  it  you  want  of 
me?" 

Her  flashing  eyes,  her  proud  look  startled  him  —  he 
moved  back  a  step  or  two.  Then  he  replied  with  as  much 
firmness  and  dignity  as  he  could  assume. 

'  Nothing  is  wanted  of  you,  my  child,  but  obedience 
and  loyalty !    Resign  all  claim  upon  the  Crown  Prince  as 


•>•> 


326  "Temporal  Power 

his  wife ;  promise  never  to  see  him  again,  or  correspond 
with  him,  —  and you  shall  lose  nothing  by  the  sac- 
rifice you  make  of  your  little  love  affair  to  the  good  of 
the  country." 

"  The  good  of  the  country !  "  echoed  Gloria  in  thrilling 
tones.  "Do  you  know  anything  about  it?  You  —  who 
never  go  among  your  people  except  to  hunt  and  shoot 
and  amuse  yourself  generally  ?  You,  who  permit  wicked 
liars  and  spendthrifts  to  gamble  with  the  people's  money ! 
The  good  of  the  country!  If  my  life  could  only  lift 
the  burden  of  taxation  from  the  country,  I  would  lay  it 
down  gladly  and  freely!  If  I  were  Queen,  do  you  think 
I  could  be  like  her?"  and  she  stretched  forth  her  white 
arm  to  where  the  Queen,  amazed,  had  risen  from  her  seat, 
and  now  stood  erect,  her  rich  robes  trailing  yards  on  the 
ground,  and  flashing  at  every  point  with  jewels.  "  Do 
you  think  I  could  sit  unmoved,  clad  in  rich  velvet  and 
gems,  while  one  single  starving  creature  sought  bread 
within  my  kingdom?  Nay,  I  would  sell  everything  I 
possessed  and  go  barefoot  rather!  I  would  be  a  sister, 
not  a  mere  '  patroness  '  to  the  poor ;  —  I  would  never 
wear  a  single  garment  that  had  not  been  made  for  me  by 
the  workers  of  my  own  land ;  —  and  the  '  good  of  the 
country  '  should  be  '  good  '  indeed,  not  '  bad,'  as  it  is 
now !  " 

Breathless  with  the  sudden  rush  of  her  thoughts  into 
words,  she  stood  with  heaving  bosom  and  sparkling  eyes, 
the  incarnation  of  eloquence  and  inspiration,  and  before 
the  astonished  monarch  could  speak,  she  went  on. 

"  I  am  your  son's  wife !  He  loves  me  —  he  has  wedded 
me  honourably  and  lawfully.  You  wish  me  to  disclaim 
that.  I  will  not !  From  him  and  him  alone,  must  come 
my  dismissal  from  his  heart,  his  life  and  his  soul.  If  he 
desires  his  marriage  with  me  dissolved,  let  him  tell  me  so 
himself  face  to  face,  and  before  you  and  his  mother! 
Then  I  shall  be  content  to  be  no  more  his  wife.  But  not 
till  then !  I  will  promise  nothing  without  his  consent. 
He  is  my  husband,  —  and  to  him  I  owe  my  first  obedience. 
I  seek  no  honour,  no  rank,  no  wealth,  —  but  I  have  won 
the  greatest  treasure  in  this  world,  his  love !  —  and  that 
I  will  keep !  " 

A  door  opened   at   the   further  end  of  the  room  —  a 


A  Fair  Debutante  327 


curtain  was  quietly  pushed  aside,  and  the  Crown  Prince 
entered.  With  a  composed,  almost  formal  demeanour, 
he  saluted  the  King  and  Queen,  and  then  going  up  to 
Gloria,  passed  his  arm  around  her  waist,  and  held  her 
fast. 

'  When  you  have  concluded  your  interview  with  my 
wife,  Sir,  —  an  interview  of  which  I  had  no  previous 
knowledge,"  he  said  quietly,  addressing  the  King;  "I 
shall  be  glad  to  have  one  of  my  own  with  her !  ,: 

The  King  answered  him  calmly  enough. 

"  Your  wife,  —  as  you  call  her,  —  is  a  very  incorrig- 
ible young  person,"  he  said.  '  The  sooner  she  returns 
to  her  companions,  the  fisher-folk  on  The  Islands,  the 
better !  From  her  looks  I  imagined  she  might  have  sense  ; 
but  I  fear  that  is  lacking  to  her  composition !  However, 
she  is  perfectly  willing  to  consider  her  marriage  with  you 
dissolved,  if  you  desire  it.  I  trust  you  will  desire  it ;  — 
here,  now,  and  at  once,  in  my  presence  and  that  of  the 
Queen,  your  mother ;  —  and  thus  a  very  unpleasant  and 
unfortunate  incident  in  your  career  will  be  satisfactorily 
closed !  " 

Prince  Humphry  smiled. 

:<  Dissolve  the  heavens  and  its  stars  into  a  cup  of  wine, 
and  drink  them  all  down  at  one  gulp !  "  he  said ;  "  And 
then,  perhaps,  you  may  dissolve  my  marriage  with  this 
lady!  If  you  consider  it  illegal,  put  the  question  to  the 
Courts  of  Law ;  —  to  the  Pope,  who  most  strenuously 
supports  the  sanctity  of  the  marriage-tie ;  —  ask  all  who 
know  anything  of  the  sacrament,  whether,  when  two 
people  love  each  other,  and  are  bound  by  holy  matrimony 
to  be  as  one,  and  are  mutually  resolved  to  so  remain,  any 
earthly  power  can  part  them !  '  Those  whom  God  hath 
joined  together,  let  no  man  put  asunder.'  Is  that  mere 
lip  mockery,  or  is  it  a  holy  bond?  " 

The  King  gave  an  impatient  gesture. 

"  There  is  no  use  in  argument,"  he  said,  "  when  argu- 
ment has  to  be  carried  on  with  such  children  as  your- 
selves. What  cannot  be  done  by  persuasion,  must  be  clone 
by  force.  I  wished  to  act  kindly  and  reasonably  by  both 
of  you  —  and  I  had  hoped  better  things  from  this  inter- 
view, —  but  as  matters  have  turned  out,  it  may  as  well 
be  concluded." 


328  "Temporal  Power' 

"  Wait!  "  said  Gloria,  disengaging  herself  gently  from 
her  husband's  embrace ;  '  I  have  something  to  say  which 
ought  to  meet  your  wishes,  even  though  it  may  not  be 
all  you  desire.    I  will  not  promise  to  give  up  my  husband ; 

—  I  will  not  promise  never  to  see  him,  and  never  to  write 
to  him  —  but  I  will  swear  to  you  one  thing  that  should 
completely  put  your  fears  and  doubts  of  me  at  rest !  " 

Both  the  King  and  Queen  looked  at  her  wonderingly ; 

—  a  brighter,  more  delicate  beauty  seemed  to  invest 
her,  —  she  stood  very  proudly  upright,  her  small  head 
lifted,  —  her  rich  hair  glistening  in  the  soft  sunshine  that 
streamed  in  subdued  tints  through  the  high  stained-glass 
windows  of  the  room,  —  her  figure,  slight  and  tall,  was 
like  that  of  the  goddess  dreamt  of  by  Endymion. 

"  You  are  so  unhappy  already,"  she  continued,  turning 
to  the  Queen ;  '  You  have  lost  so  much,  and  you  need  so 
much,  that  I  should  be  sorry  to  add  to  your  burden  of 
grief !  If  I  thought  I  could  make  you  glad,  ■ —  if  I  thought 
I  could  make  you  see  the  world  through  my  eyes,  with 
all  the  patient,  loving  human  hearts  about  you,  waiting 
for  the  sympathy  you  never  give ;  I  would  come  to  you 
often,  and  try  to  find  the  warm  pulse  of  you  somewhere 
under  all  that  splendour  which  you  clothe  yourself  in,  and 
which  is  as  valueless  to  me  as  the  dust  on  the  common 
road !  And  if  I  could  show  you,"  and  here  she  fixed  her 
steadfast  glance  upon  the  King,  — "  where  you  might 
win  friends  instead  of  losing  them,  —  if  I  could  persuade 
you  to  look  and  see  where  the  fires  of  Revolution  are 
beginning  to  smoulder  and  kindle  under  your  very 
Throne,  —  if  I  could  bear  messages  from  you  of  compas- 
sion and  tenderness  to  all  the  disaffected  and  disloyal,  I 
would  ask  you  on  my  knees  to  let  me  be  your  daughter 
in  affection,  as  I  am  by  marriage ;  and  I  would  unveil  to 
you  the  secrets  of  your  own  kingdom,  which  is  slowly 
but  steadily  rising  against  you!  But  you  judge  me 
wrongly  —  you  estimate  me  falsely,  —  and  where  I  might 
have  given  aid,  your  own  misconception  of  me  makes  me 
useless !  You  consider  me  low-born  and  a  mere  peasant ! 
How  can  you  be  sure  of  that  ?  —  for  truly  I  do  not  know 
who  I  am,  or  where  I  came  from.  For  aught  I  can  tell, 
the  storm  was  my  father,  and  the  sea  my  mother,  —  but 
my  parents  may  as  easily  have  been  Royal!     You  judge 


A  Fair  Debutante  329 

me  half-educated,  —  and  wholly  unworthy  to  be  your 
son's  wife.  Will  the  ladies  of  your  Court  compete  with 
me  in  learning  ?  I  am  ready !  What  I  hear  of  their  at- 
tainments has  not  as  yet  commanded  my  respect  or  ad- 
miration, —  and  you  yourself  as  King,  do  nothing  to 
show  that  you  care  for  either  art  or  learning !  I  wonder, 
indeed,  that  you  should  even  pause  to  consider  whether 
your  son's  wife  is  educated  or  not !  "' 

Absolutely  silent,  the  King  kept  his  eyes  upon  her.  He 
was  experiencing  a  novel  sensation  which  was  altogether 
delightful  to  him,  and  more  instructive  than  any  essay 
or  sermon.  He,  the  ostensible  ruler  of  the  country,  was 
face  to  face  with  a  woman  who  had  no  fear  of  him,  —  no 
awe  for  his  position,  —  no  respect  for  his  rank,  but  who 
simply  spoke  to  him  as  though  he  had  been  any  ordinary 
person.  He  saw  a  scarcely  perceptible  smile  on  his  son's 
handsome  features,  —  he  saw  that  Von  Glauben's  eyes 
twinkled,  despite  his  carefully  preserved  seriousness  of 
demeanour,  and  he  realized  the  almost  absurd  powerless- 
ness  of  his  authority  in  such  an  embarrassing  position. 
The  assumption  of  a  mute  contempt,  such  as  was  vaguely 
expressed  by  the  Queen,  appeared  to  him  to  be  the  best 
policy ;  —  he  therefore  adopted  that  attitude,  without 
however  producing  the  least  visible  effect.  Gloria's  face, 
softly  flushed  with  suppressed  emotion,  looked  earnest 
and  impassioned,  but  neither  abashed  nor  afraid. 

"  I  have  read  many  histories  of  kings,"  she  continued 
slowly ;  "  Of  their  treacheries  and  cruelties ;  of  their 
neglect  of  their  people!  Seldom  have  they  been  truly 
great !  The  few  who  are  reported  as  wise,  lived  and 
reigned  so  many  ages  ago,  that  we  cannot  tell  whether 
their  virtues  were  indeed  as  admirable  as  described,  — 
or  whether  their  vices  were  not  condoned  by  a  too-partial 
historian.  A  Throne  has  no  attraction  for  me !  The  only 
sorrow  I  have  ever  known  in  my  life,  is  the  discovery  that 
the  man  I  love  best  in  the  world  is  a  king's  son !  Would 
to  God  he  were  poor  and  unrenowned  as  I  thought  him  to 
be,  when  I  married  him !  -  -  for  so  we  should  always  have 
been  happy.  But  now  I  have  to  think  for  him  as  well  as 
for  myself ;  —  his  position  is  as  hard  as  mine,  —  and  we 
accept  our  fate  as  a  trial  of  our  love.  Love  cannot  be 
forced,  —  it  must  root  itself,  and  grow  where  it  will.     It 


330  "Temporal  Power' 

has  made  us  two  as  one ;  —  one  in  thought,  —  one  in 
hope,  —  one  in  faith !  No  earthly  power  can  part  us. 
You  would  marry  him  to  another  woman,  and  force  him 
to  commit  a  great  sin  '  for  the  good  of  the  country  '  ?  I 
tell  you,  if  you  do  that,  —  if  any  king  or  prince  does  that, 
—  God's  curse  will  surely  fall  upon  the  Throne,  and  all 
that  do  inherit  it!  " 

She  did  not  raise  her  voice,  —  she  spoke  in  low  thrilling 
accents,  without  excitement,  but  with  measured  force  and 
calm.  Then  she  beckoned  the  Crown  Prince  to  her  side. 
He  instantly  obeyed  her  gesture.  Taking  him  by  the 
hand,  she  advanced  a  little,  and  with  him  confronted 
both  the  King  and  Queen. 

'  Hear  me,  your  Majesties  both !  "  she  said  in  clear, 
firm  accents ;  "  And  when  you  have  heard,  be  satisfied  as 
to  '  the  good  of  the  country,'  and  let  me  depart  to  my  own 
home  in  peace,  away  from  all  your  crushing  and  miserable 
conventions.  I  take  your  son  by  the  hand,  and  even  as  I 
swore  my  faith  to  him  at  the  marriage  altar,  so  I  swear  to 
you  that  he  is  free  to  follow  his  own  inclination  ;  —  his 
law  is  mine,  —  his  will  my  pleasure,  —  and  in  everything 
I  shall  obey  him,  save  in  this  one  decree,  which  I  make 
for  myself  in  your  Majesties'  sovereign  presence, — that 
never,  so  help  me  God,  will  I  claim  or  share  my  husband's 
rank  as  Crown  Prince,  or  set  foot  within  this  palace, 
which  is  his  home,  again,  till  a  greater  voice  than  that  of 
any  king,  —  the  voice  of  the  Nation  itself,  calls  upon  me 
to  do  so  !  " 

This  proud  declaration  was  entirely  unexpected ;  and 
both  the  King  and  Queen  regarded  the  beautiful  speaker 
in  undisguised  amazement.  She,  gently  dropping  the 
Prince's  hand,  met  their  eyes  with  a  wistful  pathos  in  her 
own. 

"  Will  that  satisfy  you  ?  "  she  asked,  a  slight  tremor 
shaking  her  voice  as  she  put  the  question. 

The  King  at  once  advanced,  and  now  spoke  frankly, 
and  without  any  ceremony. 

"  Assuredly  !  You  are  a  brave  girl !  True  to  your  love, 
and  true  to  the  country  at  one  and  the  same  time !  But 
while  I  accept  your  vow,  let  me  warn  you  not  to  indulge 
in  any  lurking  hope  or  feeling  that  the  Nation  will  ever 
recognize    your    marriage.      Your    own    willingly-taken 


A  Fair  Debutante  331 


oath  at  this  moment  practically  makes  it  null  and  void,  so 
far  as  the  State  is  concerned  ; — but  perhaps  it  strengthens 
it  as  a  bond  of  —  youthful  passion  !  " 

An  open  admiration  flashed  in  his  bold  fine  eyes  as  he 
spoke,  ■ —  and  Gloria  grew  pale.  With  an  involuntary 
movement  she  turned  towards  the  Queen. 

"  You Madam  —  you Ah  !      No,  —  not    you  ! 

—  you  are  cruel!  —  you  have  not  a  woman's  heart!  My 
love  —  my  husband  !  " 

The  Prince  was  at  once  beside  her,  and  she  clung  to 
him  trembling. 

'Take  me  away!"  she  whispered;  "Take  me  away 
altogether  —  this  place  stifles  me !  " 

He  caught  her  in  his  strong  young  arms,  and  was  about 
to  lead  her  to  the  door,  when  she  suddenly  appeared  to  re- 
member something,  and  releasing  herself  from  his  clasp, 
put  him  away  from  her  with  a  faint  smile. 

'  No,   dearest !      You   must   stay   here  ; stay   here 

and  make  your  father  and  mother  understand  all  that  I 
have  said.  Tell  them  I  mean  to  keep  my  vow.  You 
know  how  thoroughly  I  mean  it!  The  Professor  will 
take  me  home!  " 

Then  the  Queen  moved,  and  came  towards  her  with 
her  usual  slow  noiseless  grace. 

"  Let  me  thank  you !  "  she  said,  with  an  air  of  gracious 
condescension  ;  "  You  are  a  very  good  girl,  and  I  am 
sure  you  will  keep  your  word !  You  are  so  beautiful  that 
you  are  bound  to  do  well ;  and  I  hope  your  future  life 
will  be  a  happy  one !  " 

"  I  hope  so,  Madam ! ':  replied  Gloria  slowly ;  '  I 
think  it  will !  If  it  is  not  happier  than  yours,  I  shall 
indeed  be  unfortunate!  " 

The  Queen  drew  back,  offended  ;  but  the  King,  who  had 
been  whispering  aside  to  Von  Glauben,  now  approached 
and  said  kindly. 

"  You  must  not  go  away,  my  child,  without  some  token 
of  our  regard.     Wear  this  for  Our  sake !  " 

He  offered  her  a  chain  of  gold  bearing  a  simple  yet 
exquisitely  designed  pendant  of  choice  pearls.  Her  face 
crimsoned,  and  she  pushed  it  disdainfully  aside. 

'  Keep  it,  Sir,  for  those  whose  love  and  faith  can  be 
purchased  with  jewelled  toys!     Mine  cannot!    You  mean 


>> 


332  "Temporal  Power 

kindly  no  doubt,  —  but  a  gift  from  you  is  an  offence,  not 
an  honour !    Fare-you-well !  " 

Another  moment  and  she  was  gone.  Von  Glauben,  at 
a  sign  from  the  King,  hastily  followed  her.  Prince 
Humphry,  who  had  remained  almost  entirely  mute  dur- 
ing the  scene,  now  stood  with  folded  arms  opposite  his 
Royal  parents,  still  silent  and  rigid.  The  King  watched 
him  for  a  minute  or  two  —  then  laid  a  hand  gently  on 
his  arm. 

"  We  do  not  blame  you  over-much,  Humphry !  "  he 
said ;  "  She  is  a  beautiful  creature,  and  more  intelligent 
than  I  had  imagined.  Moreover  she  has  great  calmness, 
as  well  as  courage." 

Still  the  Prince  said  nothing. 

"  You  are  satisfied,  Madam,  I  presume  ?  "  went  on  the 
King  addressing  his  Consort ;  —  "  The  girl  could  hardly 
make  a  more  earnest  vow  of  abnegation  than  she  has 
done.  And  when  Humphry  has  travelled  for  a  year  and 
seen  other  lands,  other  manners,  and  other  faces,  we  may 
look  upon  this  boyish  incident  in  his  career  as  finally 
closed.  I  think  both  you  and  I  can  rest  assured  that  there 
will  be  no  further  cause  for  anxiety?  " 

He  put  the  question  carelessly.  The  Queen  bent  her 
head  in  acquiescence,  but  her  eyes  were  fixed  upon  her 
son,  who  still  said  nothing. 

"  We  have  not  received  any  promise  from  Humphry 
himself,"  she  said ;  i4  Apparently  he  is  not  disposed  to 
take  a  similar  oath  of  loyalty !  " 

"  Truly,  Madam,  you  judge  me  rightly  for  once!  "  said 
the  Prince,  quietly ;  '  I  am  certainly  not  disposed  to  do 
anything  but  to  be  master  of  my  own  thoughts  and 
actions." 

"  Remain  so,  Humphry,  by  all  means !  "  said  the  King 
indulgently.  "  The  present  circumstances  being  so  far 
favourable,  we  exact  nothing  more  from  you.  Love  will 
be  love,  and  passion  must  have  its  way  with  boys  of  your 
age.  I  impose  no  further  restriction  upon  you.  The  girl's 
own  word  is  to  me  sufficient  bond  for  the  preservation 
of  your  high  position.  All  young  men  have  their  little 
secret  love-affairs ;  we  shall  not  blame  you  for  yours  now, 
seeing,  as  we  do,  the  satisfactory  end  of  it  in  sight !  But 
I  fear  we  are  detaining  yon!  "     This  with  elaborate  po- 


A  Fair  Debutante  333 

litcness.      '  If  you  wish  to  follow  your  fair  inamorata,  the 
way  is  clear !     You  may  retire !  " 

Without  any  haste,  but  with  formal  military  stiffness 
the  Prince  saluted,  —  and  turning  slowly  on  his  heel,  left 
the  presence-chamber.  Alone,  the  King  and  his  beautiful 
(Jueen-Consort  looked  questioningly  at  one  another. 

"  What  think  you,  Madam,  of  the  heroine  of  this 
strange  love-story?"  he  asked  with  a  touch  of  bitterness 
in  his  voice.  '  Does  it  not  strike  you  that  even  in  this 
arid  world  of  much  deception,  there  may  be  after  all  such 
a  thing  as  innocence  ?  —  such  a  treasure  as  true  and  trust- 
ing love?  Were  not  the  eyes  of  this  girl  Gloria,  when 
lifted  to  your  face,  something  like  the  eyes  of  a  child  who 
has  just  said  its  prayers  to  God,  —  who  fears  nothing  and 
loves  all  ?    Yet  I  doubt  whether  you  were  moved !  " 

"  Were  you  ? "  she  asked  indifferently,  yet  with  a 
strange  fluttering  at  her  heart,  which  she  could  not  herself 
comprehend. 

'  I  was !  "  he  answered.  '  I  confess  it !  I  was  pro- 
foundly touched  to  see  a  girl  of  such  beauty  and  innocence 
confront  us  here,  with  no  other  shield  against  our  formal 
and  ridiculous  conventionalities,  save  the  pure  strength  of 
her  own  love  for  Humphry,  and  her  complete  trust  in 
him.  It  is  easy  to  see  that  her  life  hangs  on  his  will ;  it 
is  not  so  much  her  with  whom  we  have  to  deal,  as  with 
him.  What  he  says,  she  will  evidently  obey.  If  he  tells 
her  he  has  ceased  to  love  her,  she  will  die  quite  uncom- 
plainingly ;  but  so  long  as  he  does  love  her,  she  will  live, 
and  expand  in  beauty  and  intelligence  on  that  love  alone ; 
and  you  may  be  assured,  Madam,  that  in  that  case,  he  will 
never  wed  another  woman !  Nor  could  I  possibly  blame 
him,  for  he  is  bound  to  find  all  —  or  most  women  inferior 
to  her !  " 

She  regarded  him  wonderingly. 

'Your  admiration  of  her  is  keen,  Sir!'  she  said, 
amazed  to  find  herself  somewhat  irritated.  '  Perhaps  if 
she  were  not  morganatically  your  daughter-in-law,  you 
might  be  your  son's  rival  ?  " 

He  turned  upon  her  indignantly. 

'  Madam,  the  days  were,  when  you,  as  my  wife,  had  it 
in  your  power  to  admit  no  rivals  to  the  kingdom  of  your 
own  beauty!     Since  then,  I  confess,  you  have  had  many! 


?> 


334  "Temporal  Power 

But  they  have  been  worthless  rivals  all,  —  crazed  with 
their  own  vanity  and  greed,  and  empty  of  truth  and 
honour.  A  month  or  two  before  I  came  to  the  Throne,  I 
was  beginning  to  think  that  women  were  viler  than  ver- 
min, —  I  had  grown  utterly  weary  of  their  beauty,  — 
weary  —  ay,  sick  to  death  of  their  alluring  eyes,  sensual 
lips,  and  too  freely-offered  caresses ;  the  uncomely,  hard- 
worked  woman,  earning  bread  for  her  half-starved  chil- 
dren, seemed  the  only  kind  of  feminine  creature  for  which 
I  could  have  any  respect  —  but  now  —  I  am  learning 
that  there  are  good  women  who  are  fair  to  see,  —  women 
who  have  hearts  to  love  and  suffer,  and  who  are  true  — 
ay  —  true  as  the  sun  in  heaven  to  the  one  man  they 
worship !  " 

"  A  man  who  is  generally  quite  unworthy  of  them ! ': 
said  the  Queen  with  a  chill  laugh  ;  "  Your  eloquence,  Sir, 
is  very  touching,  and  no  doubt  leads  further  than  I  care 
to  penetrate !  The  girl  Gloria  is  certainly  beautiful,  and 
no  doubt  very  innocent  and  true  at  present,  —  but  when 
Humphry  tires  of  her,  as  he  surely  will,  for  all  men 
quickly  tire  of  those  that  love  them  best,  —  she  will  no 
doubt  sink  into  the  ordinary  ways  of  obtaining  consola- 
tion. I  know  little  concerning  these  amazingly  good 
women  you  speak  of ;  and  nothing  concerning  good  men ! 
But  I  quite  agree  with  you  that  many  women  are  to  be  ad- 
mired for  their  hard  work.  You  see  when  once  they  do 
begin  to  work,  men  generally  keep  them  at  it !  "  She 
gathered  up  her  rich  train  on  one  arm,  and  prepared  to 
leave  the  apartment.  "  If  you  think,"  she  continued, 
"  as  you  now  say,  that  Humphry  will  never  change  his 
present  sentiments,  and  never  marry  any  other  woman, 
the  girl's  oath  is  a  mere  farce  and  of  no  avail !  " 

"  On  the  contrary,  it  is  of  much  avail,"  said  the  King, 
"  for  she  has  sworn  before  us  both  never  to  claim  any 
right  to  share  in  Humphry's  position,  till  the  nation  itself 
asks  her  to  do  so.  Now  as  the  nation  will  never  know  of 
the  marriage  at  all,  the  '  call '  will  not  be  forthcoming." 

The  Queen  paused  in  the  act  of  turning  away. 

"  If  you  were  to  die,"  she  said;  "  Humphry  would  be 
King.  And  as  King,  he  is  quite  capable  of  making  Gloria 
Queen !  " 

He  looked  at  her  very  strangely. 


A  Fair  Debutante  335 

"  Madam,  in  the  event  of  my  death,  all  things  are 
possible!"  he  said;  "A  dying  Sovereignty  may  give 
birth  to  a  Republic !  " 

The  Queen  smiled. 

"  Well,  it  is  the  most  popular  form  of  government  now- 
adays," she  responded,  carelessly  moving  slowly  towards 
the  door;  "And  perhaps  the  most  satisfactory.  I  think 
if  I  were  not  a  Queen,  I  should  be  a  republican !  " 

"  And  I,  if  I  were  not  a  King,"  he  responded,  "  should 
be  a  Socialist !  Such  are  the  strange  contradictions  of 
human  nature!  Permit  me!"  He  opened  the  door  of 
the  room  for  her  to  pass  out,  —  and  as  she  did  so,  she 
looked  up  full  in  his  face. 

"  Are  you  still  interested  in  your  new  form  of  amuse- 
ment?" she  said;  "And  do  you  still  expose  yourself  to 
danger  and  death  ?  " 

He  bowed  assent. 

"  Still  am  I  a  fool  in  a  new  course  of  folly,  Madam !  " 
he  answered  with  a  smile,  and  a  half  sigh.  "  So  many  of 
my  brother  monarchs  are  wadded  round  like  peaches  in 
wool,  with  precautions  for  their  safety,  lest  they  bruise  at 
a  touch,  that  I  assure  you  I  take  the  chances  of  danger 
and  death  as  exhilarating  sport,  compared  to  their  guarded 
condition.  But  it  is  very  good  of  you  to  assume  such  a 
gracious  solicitude  for  my  safety !  " 

'  Assume  ?  "  she  said.  Her  voice  had  a  slight  tremor 
in  it,  —  her  eyes  looked  soft  and  suffused  with  something 
like  tears.  Then,  with  her  usual  stately  grace,  she  saluted 
him,  and  passed  out. 

Struck  at  the  unwonted  expression  in  her  face,  he  stood 
for  a  moment  amazed.  Then  he  gave  vent  to  a  low  bitter 
laugh. 

"  How  strange  it  would  be  if  she  should  love  me  now !  " 

he  murmured.      'But after  all  these  years too 

late  !    Too  late !  " 

That  night  before  the  King  retired  to  rest,  Professor 
von  Glauben  reported  himself  and  his  duty  to  his  Majesty 
in  the  privacy  of  his  own  apartments.  He  had,  he  stated, 
accompanied  Gloria  back  to  her  home  in  The  Islands ; 
and,  he  added  somewhat  hesitatingly,  the  Crown  Prince 
had  returned  with  her,  and  had  there  remained.  He,  the 
Professor,  had  left  them  together,  being  commanded  by 
the  Prince  so  to  do. 


33& 


a 


Temporal  Power' 


The  King  received  this  information  with  perfect 
equanimity. 

'  The  boy  must  have  his  way  for  the  present,"  he  said. 
"  His  passion  will  soon  exhaust  itself.  All  passion  ex- 
hausts itself  sooner  or  —  later !  " 

'  That  depends  very  much  on  the  depth  or  shallowness 
of  its  source,  Sir,"  replied  the  Professor. 

"True!  But  a  boy!  —  a  mere  infant  in  experience! 
What  can  he  know  of  the  depths  in  the  heart  and  soul ! 
Now  a  man  of  my  age " 

He  broke  off  abruptly,  seeing  Von  Glauben's  eyes  fixed 
steadfastly  upon  him,  and  the  colour  deepened  in  his 
cheek.    Then  he  gave  a  slight  laugh. 

'  I  tell  you,  Von  Glauben,  this  little  love-affair  — 
this  absurd  toy-marriage  is,  not  worth  thinking  about. 
Humphry  leaves  the  country  at  the  end  of  this  month,  — 
he  will  remain  absent  a  year,  —  and  at  the  expiration  of 
that  time  we  shall  marry  him  in  good  earnest  to  a  royally- 
born  bride.  Meanwhile,  let  us  not  trouble  ourselves  about 
this  sentimental  episode,  which  is  so  rapidly  drawing  to 
its  close." 

The  Professor  bowed  respectfully  and  retired.  But  not 
to  sleep.  He  had  a  glowing  picture  before  his  eyes,  —  a 
picture  he  could  not  forget,  of  the  Crown  Prince  and 
Gloria  standing  with  arms  entwined  about  each  other 
under  the  rose-covered  porch  of  Ronsard's  cottage  saying 
"  Good-night  "  to  him,  while  Ronsard  himself,  his  tran- 
quillity completely  restored,  and  his  former  fears  at  rest, 
warmly  shook  his  hand,  and  with  a  curious  mingling  of 
pride  and  deference  thanked  him  for  all  his  friendship  — 
'  all  his  goodness !  ' 

"  And  no  goodness  at  all  is  mine,"  said  the  meditative 
Professor,  "  save  that  of  being  as  honest  as  I  can  to  both 
sides!  But  there  is  some  change  in  the  situation  which  I 
do  not  quite  understand.  There  is  some  new  plan  on  foot 
I  would  swear !  The  Prince  was  too  triumphant  —  Gloria 
too  happy  —  Ronsard  too  satisfied  !  There  is  something 
in  the  wind !  —  but  I  cannot  make  out  what  it  is !  '' 

He  pondered  uneasily  for  a  part  of  the  night,  reflecting 
that  when  he  had  returned  from  The  Islands  in  the  King's 
yacht,  he  had  met  the  Prince's  own  private  vessel  on  her 
way  thither,  gliding  over  the  waves,  a  mere  ghostly  bunch 


A  Fair  Debutante  337 

of  white  sails  in  the  glimmering  moon.  He  had  con- 
cluded that  it  was  under  orders  to  embark  the  Prince  for 
home  again  in  the  morning ;  and  yet,  though  this  was  a 
perfectly  natural  and  probable  surmise,  he  had  been  unable 
to  rid  himself  altogether  of  a  doubtful  presentiment,  to 
which  he  could  give  no  name.  By  degrees,  he  fell  into  an 
uneasy  slumber,  in  which  he  had  many  incompleted 
dreams,  —  one  of  which  was  that  he  found  himself  all 
alone  on  the  wide  ocean  which  stretched  for  thousands  of 
miles  beyond  The  Islands,  —  alone  in  a  small  boat,  en- 
deavouring to  row  it  towards  the  great  Southern  Conti- 
nent that  lay  afar  off  in  the  invisible  distance,  —  where 
few  but  the  most  adventurous  travellers  ever  cared  to 
wander.  And  as  he  pulled  with  weak,  ineffectual  oars 
against  the  mighty  weight  of  the  rolling  billows,  he 
thought  he  heard  the  words  of  an  old  Irish  song  which  he 
remembered  having  listened  to,  when  as  quite  a  young 
man  he  had  paid  his  first  and  last  visit  to  the  misty  and 
romantic  shores  of  Britain. 

"  Come  o'er  the  sea 
Cushla  ma  chree  !  — 
Mine  through  sunshine,  storm  and  snows  !  — 
Seasons  may  roll, 
But  the  true  soul, 
Burns  the  same  wherever  it  goes  ; 
Let  fate  frown  on,  so  we  love  and  part  not, 
'Tis  life  where  thou  art,  't  is  death  where  thou  art  not ! 
Then  come  o'er  the  sea, 
Cushla  ma  chree! 
Mine  wherever  the  wild  wind  blows  1 " 

Then  waking  with  a  violent  start,  he  wondered  what 

set  of  brain-cells  had  been  stirred  to  reproduce  rhymes  that 

he  had,  or  so  he  deemed,  long  ago  forgotten.     And  still 

musing,  he  almost  mechanically  went  on  with  the  wild 

ditty. 

"  Was  not  the  sea 
Made  for  the  free, 
Land  for  Courts  and  chains  alone  !  — 
Here  we  are  slaves, 
But  on  the  waves, 
Love  and  liberty  are  our  own  !  " 

"  This  will  never  do!  "  he  exclaimed,  leaping  from  his 
bed ;    "  I  am  becoming  a  mere  driveller  with  advancing 


age 


22 


338  "Temporal  Power' 

He  went  to  the  window  and  looked  out.  It  was  about 
six  o'clock  in  the  morning, — the  sun  was  shining  brightly 
into  his  room.  Before  him  lay  the  sea,  calm  as  a  lake,  and 
clear-sparkling  as  a  diamond ;  —  not  a  boat  was  in  sight ; 

—  not  a  single  white  sail  on  the  distant  horizon.  And  in 
the  freshness  and  stillness  of  the  breaking  day,  the  world 
looked  but  just  newly  created. 

'  How  we  fret  and  fume  in  our  little  span  of  life !  "  he 
murmured.  "  A  few  years  hence,  and  for  us  all  the 
troubles  which  we  make  for  ourselves  will  be  ended ! 
But  the  sun  and  the  sea  will  shine  on  just  the  same  — 
and  Love,  the  supremest  power  on  earth,  will  still  govern 
mankind,  when  thrones  and  kings  and  empires  are  no 
more !  " 

His  thoughts  were  destined  to  bear  quick  fruition. 
The  morning  deepened  into  noon  —  and  at  that  hour  a 
sealed  dispatch  brought  by  a  sailor,  who  gave  no  name 
and  who  departed  as  soon  as  he  had  delivered  his  packet, 
was  handed  to  the  King.  It  was  from  the  Crown  Prince, 
and  ran  briefly  thus :  — 

'  At  your  command,  Sir,  and  by  my  own  desire,  I  have 
left  the  country  over  which  you  hold  your  sovereign  do- 
minion. Whither  I  travel,  and  how,  is  my  own  affair.  I 
shall  return  no  more  ////  the  Nation  demands  my  service, 

—  whereof  I  shall  doubtless  hear  should  such  a  contin- 
gency ever  arise.  I  leave  you  to  deal  with  the  situation 
as  seems  best  to  your  good  pleasure  and  that  of  the  Gov- 
ernment, —  but  the  life  God  has  given  me  can  only  be 
lived  once,  and  to  Him  alone  am  I  responsible  for  it.  I 
am  resolved  therefore  to  live  it  to  my  own  liking,  —  in 
honesty,  faith  and  freedom.  In  accordance  with  this  de- 
termination, Gloria,  my  wife,  as  in  her  sworn  marriage- 
duty  bound,  goes  with  me." 

For  one  moment  the  King  stood  transfixed  and  as- 
tounded ;  a  cloud  of  anger  darkened  his  brows.  Crump- 
ling up  the  document  in  his  hand,  he  was  about  to  fling  it 
from  him  in  a  fury.  What !  This  mere  boy  and  girl  had 
baffled  the  authority  of  a  king!     Anon,  his  anger  cooled 

—  his  countenance  cleared.  Smoothing  the  paper  out  he 
read  its  contents  again,  —  then  smiled. 


A  Fair  Debutante  339 

'  Well !  Humphry  has  something  of  me  in  him  after 
all !  "  he  said.  '  He  is  not  entirely  his  mother !  He  has  a 
heart,  —  a  will,  and  a  conscience,  —  all  three  generally 
lacking  to  sons  of  kings !  Let  me  be  honest  with  myself ! 
If  he  had  given  way  to  me,  I  should  have  despised  him! 
—  but  for  Love's  sake  he  has  opposed  me ;  and  by  my 
soul !  —  I  respect  him  !  " 


CHAPTER    XXIII 


THE    KING'S    DEFENDER 


RUMOUR,  we  are  told,  has  a  million  tongues,  and 
they  were  soon  all  at  work,  wagging-  out  the 
news  of  the  Crown  Prince's  mysterious  departure.  Each 
tongue  told  a  different  story,  and  none  of  the  stories 
tallied.  No  information  was  to  be  obtained  at  Court. 
There  nothing  was  said,  but  that  the  Prince,  disliking  the 
formal  ceremony  of  a  public  departure,  had  privately  set 
sail  in  his  own  yacht  for  his  projected  tour  round  the 
world.  Nobody  believed  this ;  and  the  general  impres- 
sion soon  gained  ground  that  the  young  man  had  fallen 
into  disgrace  with  his  Royal  parents,  and  had  been  sent 
away  for  a  time  till  he  should  recognize  the  enormity  of 
his  youthful  indiscretions. 

"  Sent   away you   understand ! '!    said   the   society 

gossips  ;   "  To  avoid  further  scandal!  " 

The  Prince's  younger  brothers,  Rupert  and  Cyprian, 
were  often  plied  with  questions  by  their  intimates,  but 
knowing  nothing,  and  truly  caring  less,  they  could  give 
no  explanation.  Neither  King  nor  Queen  spoke  a  word 
on  the  subject ;  and  Sir  Roger  de  Launay,  astonished  and 
perplexed  beyond  measure  as  he  was  at  this  turn  in 
affairs,  dared  not  put  any  questions  even  to  his  friend 
Professor  von  Glauben  who,  as  soon  as  the  news  of  the 
Prince's  departure  was  known,  resolutely  declined  to 
speak,  so  he  said,  "  on  what  did  not  concern  him."  Grad- 
ually, however,  this  excitement  partially  subsided  to  give 
place  to  other  forms  of  social  commotion,  which  begin- 
ning in  trifles,  swiftly  expanded  to  larger  and  more  seri- 
ous development.  The  first  of  these  was  the  sudden  rise 
of  a  newspaper  which  had  for  many  years  subsisted  with 
the  greatest  difficulty  in  opposition  to  the  many  journals 
governed  by  David  Jost.     It  happened  in  this  manner. 


The  King's  Defender         341 

Several  leading  articles  written  in  favour  of  a  Jesuit  set- 
tlement in  the  country,  had  appeared  constantly  in  Jost's 
largest  and  most  widely  circulated  newspaper,  and  the 
last  of  these  '  leaders,'  had  concluded  with  the  assertion 
that  though  his  Majesty,  the  King,  had  at  first  refused 
the  portion  of  Crown-lands  needed  by  the  Society  for 
building,  he  had  now  '  graciously  '  re-considered  the  situ- 
ation, and  had  been  pleased  to  revoke  his  previous  deci- 
sion. Whereat,  the  very  next  morning  the  rival  '  daily  ' 
had  leaped  into  prominence  by  merely  two  headlines : 

THE  JESUIT  SETTLEMENT 
STATEMENT  BY  HIS  MAJESTY  THE  KING. 

And  there,  plainly  set  forth,  was  the  Royal  and  authori- 
tative refusal  to  grant  the  lands  required,  '  Because  of 
the  earnest  petition  of  our  loving  subjects  against  the  said 
grant,'  — and  till  'our  loving  subjects''  objections  were 
removed,  the  lands  would  be  withheld.  This  public  an- 
nouncement signed  by  the  King  in  person,  created  the 
most  extraordinary  sensation  throughout  the  whole  coun- 
try. It  was  the  one  topic  at  every  social  meeting ;  it  was 
the  one  subject  of  every  sermon.  Preachers  stormed  and 
harangued  in  every  pulpit,  and  Monsignor  Del  Fortis, 
lifting  up  his  harsh  raucous  voice  in  the  Cathedral  itself, 
addressed  an  enormous  congregation  one  Sunday  morn- 
ing on  the  matter,  and  denounced  the  King,  the  Queen, 
and  the  mysteriously-departed  Crown  Prince  in  the  most 
orthodox  Christian  manner,  commending  them  to  the 
flames  of  hell,  and  the  mercy  of  a  loving  God  at  one  and 
the  same  moment. 

Meanwhile,  the  newspaper  that  had  been  permitted  to 
publish  the  King's  statement  got  its  circulation  up  by  tens 
of  thousands,  the  more  so  as  certain  brilliant  and  fiery 
articles  on  the  political  situation  began  to  appear  therein 
signed  by  one  Pasquin  Leroy,  a  stranger  to  the  reading 
public,  but  in  whom  the  spirit  of  a  modern  '  Junius  '  ap- 
peared to  have  entered  for  the  purpose  of  warning,  threat- 
ening and  commanding.  A  scathing  and  audacious 
attack  upon  Carl  Perousse,  Secretary  of  State,  in  which  the 
small  darts  of  satire  flew  further  than  the  sharpest  arrows 
of  assertion,  was  among  the  first  of  these,  and  Perousse 


342  "Temporal  Power' 

himself,  maddened  like  a  bull  at  the  first  prick  of  the 
toreador,  by  the  stinging  truths  the  writer  uttered,  or 
rather  suggested,  lost  no  time  in  summoning  General 
Bernhoff  to  a  second  interview. 

"  Did  I  not  tell  you,"  he  said,  pointing  to  the  signature 
at  the  end  of  the  offending  article,  "  to  '  shadow  '  that 
man,  and  arrest  him  as  a  common  spy  ?  " 

Bernhoff  bowed  stiffly. 

'  You  did !  But  it  is  difficult  to  arrest  one  who  is  not 
capable  of  being  arrested.  I  must  be  provided  first  with 
proofs  of  his  guilt ;  and  I  must  also  obtain  the  King's 
order." 

'  Proofs  should  be  easy  enough  for  you  to  obtain," 
said  Perousse  fiercely ;  "  And  the  King  will  sign  any 
warrant  he  is  told.  At  least,  you  can  surely  find  this 
rascal  out  ?  —  where  he  lives,  and  what  are  his  means  of 
subsistence  ?  " 

"  If  he  were  here,  I  could,"  responded  Bernhoff  calmly; 
'  I  have  made  all  the  necessary  preliminary  enquiries. 
The  man  is  a  gentleman  of  considerable  wealth.  He 
writes  for  his  own  amusement,  and  —  from  a  distance. 
I  advise  you  —  "  and  here  the  General  held  up  an  obsti- 
nate-looking finger  of  warning ;  '  I  advise  you,  I  say,  to 
let  him  alone !  I  can  find  no  proof  whatever  that  he  is  a 
spy." 

'  Proof!  I  can  give  you  enough  —  "  began  Perousse 
hotly,  then  paused  in  confusion..  For  what  could  he  truly 
say?  If  he  told  the  Chief  of  Police  that  this  Pasquin 
Leroy  was  believed  to  have  counterfeited  the  Prime  Min- 
ister's signet,  in  order  to  obtain  an  interview  with  David 
Jost,  why  then  the  Chief  of  Police  would  be  informed 
once  and  for  all  that  the  Prime  Minister  was  in  confiden- 
tial communication  with  the  Jew-proprietor  of  a  stock- 
jobbing newspaper!  And  that  would  never  do!  It 
would,  at  the  least,  be  impolitic.  Inwardly  chafing  with 
annoyance,  he  assumed  an  outward  air  of  conscientious 

gravity. 

"  You  will  regret  it,  General,  I  think,  if  you  do  not  fol- 
low out  my  suggestions  respecting  this  man,"  he  said 
coldly ;  "  He  is  writing  for  the  press  in  a  strain  which  is 
plainly  directed  against  the  Government.  Of  course  we 
statesmen  pay  little  or  no  heed  to  modern  journalism,  but 


The  King's  Defender         343 

the  Kino-,  having  taken  the  unusual,  and  as  I  consider  it, 
unwise  step  of  proclaiming  certain  of  his  intentions  in  a 
newspaper  which  was,  until  his  patronage,  obscure  and 
unsuccessful,  the  public  attention  has  been  suddenly 
turned  towards  this  particular  journal;  and  what  is  writ- 
ten therein  may  possibly  influence  the  masses  as  it  would 
not  have  done  a  few  weeks  ago." 

"  I  quite  believe  that !  "  said  Bernhoff  tersely ;  '  But  1 
cannot  arrest  a  man  for  writing  clever  things.  Literary 
talent  is  no  proof  of  dishonesty." 

Perousse  looked  at  him  sharply.  But  there  was  no 
satire  in  Bernhoff' s  fixed  and  glassy  eye,  and  no  expres- 
sion whatever  in  his  woodenly-composed  countenance. 

'  We  entertain  different  opinions  on  the  matter,  it  is 
evident !  "  he  said ;  '  You  will  at  least  grant  that  if  he 
cannot  be  arrested,  he  can  be  carefully  watched  ?  " 

"  He  is  carefully  watched!  "  replied  Bernhoff;  '  That 
is  to  say,  as  far  as  /  can  watch  him !  " 

"  Good !  '  and  Perousse  smiled,  somewhat  relieved. 
"  Then  on  the  first  suspicion  of  a  treasonable  act " 

'  I  shall  arrest  him  —  in  the  King's  name,  when  the 
King  signs  the  warrant,"  said  Bernhoff;  "  But  he  is  one 
of  Sergius  Thord's  followers,  and  at  the  present  juncture 
it  might  be  unwise  to  touch  any  member  of  that  particu- 
larly inflammable  body." 

Perousse  frowned. 

"  Sergius  Thord  ought  to  have  been  hanged  or  shot 
years  ago " 

'  Then  why  did  not  you  hang  or  shoot  him  ?  "  enquired 
Bernhoff. 

"  I  was  not  in  office." 

'  Why  do  you  not  hang  or  shoot  him  now  ?  " 

"  Why  ?     Because " 

'  Because,"  interrupted  Bernhoff,  again  lifting  his 
grim  warning  finger;  '  If  you  did,  the  city  would  be  in 
a  tumult  and  more  than  half  the  soldiery  would  be  on  the 
side  of  the  mob !  By  way  of  warning,  M.  Perousse,  I 
may  as  well  tell  you  frankly,  on  the  authority  of  my  posi- 
tion as  Head  of  the  Police,  that  the  Government  are  on 
the  edge  of  a  dangerous  situation !  " 

Perousse  looked  contemptuous. 

"  Every  Government  in  the  world  is  on  the  edge  of  a 


344  "Temporal  Power' 

dangerous  situation  nowadays  !  "  he  retorted  ;  —  "  But 
any  Government  that  yields  to  the  mob  proves  itself  a 
mere  ministry  of  cowardice." 

'  Yet  the  mob  often  wins,  —  not  only  by  excess  of 
numbers,  but  by  sheer  force  of — honesty!"  —  said  Bern- 
hoff  sententiously ;  "It  has  been  known  to  sweep  away, 
and  re-make  political  constitutions  before  now.'' 

"  It  bas,"  —  agreed  Perousse,  drawing  pens  and  paper 
towards  him,  and  feigning  to  be  busily  occupied  in  the 
commencement  of  a  letter  — "  But  it  will  not  indulge 
itself  in  such  amusements  during  my  time !  " 

"  Ah !  I  wonder  how  long  your  time  will  last !  "  mut- 
tered Bernhoff  to  himself  as  he  withdrew  —  "  Six  months 
or  six  days  ?    I  would  not  bet  on  the  longer  period !  ': 

In  good  truth  there  was  considerable  reason  for  the 
General's  dubious  outlook  on  affairs.  A  political  storm 
was  brewing.  A  heavy  tidal  wave  of  discontent  was 
sweeping  the  masses  of  the  people  stormily  against  the 
rocks  of  existing  authority,  and  loud  and  bitter  and  in- 
cessant were  the  complaints  on  all  sides  against  the  in- 
creased taxation  levied  upon  every  rate-payer.  Fiercest 
of  all  was  the  clamour  made  by  the  poor  at  the  increasing 
price  of  bread,  the  chief  necessity  of  life ;  for  the  imposi- 
tion of  a  heavy  duty  upon  wheat  and  other  cereals  had 
made  the  common  loaf  of  the  peasant's  daily  fare  almost 
an  article  of  luxury.  Stormy  meetings  were  held  in  every 
quarter  of  the  city,  —  protests  were  drawn  up  and  signed 
by  thousands,  —  endless  petitions  were  handed  to  the 
King,  —  but  no  practical  result  came  from  these.  His 
Majesty  was  '  graciously  pleased '  to  seem  blind,  deaf 
and  wholly  indifferent  to  the  agitated  condition  of  bis 
subjects.  Now  and  then  a  Government  orator  would 
mount  the  political  rostrum  and  talk  '  patriotism  '  for  an 
hour  or  so,  to  a  more  or  less  sullen  audience,  informing 
them  with  much  high-flown  eloquence  that,  by  respond- 
ing to  the  Governmental  demands  and  supporting  the 
Governmental  measures,  they  were  strengthening  the  re- 
sources of  the  country  and  completing  the  efficiency  of 
both  Army  and  Navy ;  but  somehow,  his  hydraulic  efforts 
at  rousing  the  popular  enthusiasm  failed  of  effect. 
Whereas,  whenever  Sergius  Thord  spoke,  thousands  of 
throats    roared    acclamation,  —  and    the    very    sight    of 


The  King's  Defender         345 

Lotys  passing  quietly  down  the  poorer  thoroughfares  of 
the  city  was  sufficient  to  tiring  out  groups  of  men  and 
women  to  their  doors,  waving  their  hands  to  her,  sending 
her  wild  kisses, --and  almost  kneeling  before  her  in  an 
ecstasy  of  trust  and  adoration.  Thord  himself  perceived 
that  the  situation  was  rapidly  reaching  a  climax,  and 
quietly  prepared  himself  to  meet  and  cope  with  it.  Two 
of  the  monthly  business  meetings  of  the  Revolutionary 
Committee  had  been  held  since  that  on  which  Pasquin 
Leroy  and  his  two  friends  had  been  enrolled  as  members 
of  the  Brotherhood,  and  at  the  last  of  these,  Thord  took 
Leroy  into  his  full  confidence,  and  gave  him  all  the  secret 
clues  of  the  Revolutionary  organization  which  honey- 
combed the  metropolis  from  end  to  end.  He  had  trusted 
the  man  in  many  ways  and  found  him  honest.  One 
trifling  proof  of  this  was  perhaps  the  main  reason  of 
Thord's  further  reliance  upon  him ;  he  had  fulfilled  his 
half-suggested  promise  to  bring  the  sunshine  of  prosper- 
ity into  the  hard-working,  and  more  or  less  sordid  life  of 
the  little  dancing-girl,  Pequita.  She  had  been  sent  for 
one  morning  by  the  manager  of  the  Royal  Opera,  who 
having  seen  the  ease,  grace,  and  dexterity  of  her  perform- 
ance, forthwith  engaged  her  for  the  entire  season  at  a 
salary  which  when  named  to  the  amazed  child,  seemed 
like  a  veritable  shower  of  gold  tumbling  by  rare  chance 
out  of  the  lap  of  Dame  Fortune.  The  manager  was  a 
curt,  cold  business  man,  and  she  was  afraid  to  ask  him 
any  questions,  for  when  the  words  —  "I  am  sure  a  kind 
friend  has  spoken  to  you  of  me  —  "  came  timidly  from  her 
lips,  he  had  shut  up  her  confidence  at  once  by  the  brief 
answer  — 

"  No.  You  are  mistaken.  We  accept  no  personal  rec- 
ommendations.    We  only  employ  proved  talent!  " 

All  the  same  Pequita  felt  sure  that  she  owed  the  sudden 
lifting  of  her  own  and  her  father's  daily  burden  of  life, 
to  the  unforgetting  care  and  intercession  of  Leroy.  Lotys 
was  equally  convinced  of  the  same,  and  both  she  and 
Sergius  Thord  highly  appreciated  their  new  associate's 
unobtrusive  way  of  doing  good,  as  it  were,  by  stealth.  Pe- 
quita's  exquisite  grace  and  agility  had  made  her  at  once 
the  fashion ;  the  Opera  was  crowded  nightly  to  see  the 
'  wonderful  child-dancer  ' ;    and  valuable  gifts  and  costly 


346  "Temporal  Power' 

jewels  were  showered  upon  her,  all  of  which  she  brought 
to  Lotys,  who  advised  her  how  to  dispose  of  them  best, 
and  put  by  the  money  for  the  comfort  and  care  of  her 
father  in  the  event  of  sickness,  or  the  advance  of  age. 
Flattered  and  petted  by  the  great  world  as  she  now  was, 
Pequita  never  lost  her  head  in  the  whirl  of  gay  splendour, 
but  remained  the  same  child-like,  loving  little  creature, 
—  her  one  idol  her  father,  —  her  only  confidante,  Lotys, 
whose  gentle  admonitions  and  constant  watchfulness 
saved  her  from  many  a  dangerous  pitfall.  As  yet,  she 
had  not  attained  the  wish  she  had  expressed,  to  dance  be- 
fore the  King,  —  but  she  was  told  that  at  any  time  his 
Majesty  might  visit  the  Opera,  and  that  steps  would  be 
taken  to  induce  him  to  do  so  for  the  special  purpose  of 
witnessing  her  performance.  So  with  this  half  promise 
she  was  fain  to  be  content,  and  to  bear  with  the  laughing 
taunts  of  her  '  Revolutionary  '  friends,  who  constantly 
teased  her  and  called  her  '  little  traitor '  because  she 
sought  the  Royal  favour. 

Another  event,  which  was  correctly  or  incorrectly 
traced  to  Leroy's  silently  working  influence,  was  the 
sudden  meteoric  blaze  of  Paul  Zouche  into  fame.  How 
it  happened,  no  one  knew ;  —  and  why  it  happened  was 
still  more  of  a  mystery,  because  by  all  its  own  tenets  and 
traditions  the  social  world  ought  to  have  set  itself  dead 
against  the  '  Psalm  of  Revolution,'  —  the  title  of  the 
book  of  poems  which  created  such  an  amazing  stir.  But 
somehow,  it  got  whispered  about  that  the  King  had  at- 
tempted to  '  patronise  '  the  poet,  and  that  the  poet  had 
very  indignantly  resented  the  offered  Royal  condescen- 
sion. Whereat,  by  degrees,  there  arose  in  society  circles 
a  murmur  of  wonder  at  the  poet's  '  pluck,'  wonder  that 
deepened  into  admiration,  with  incessant  demand  for  his 
book,  —  and  admiration  soon  expanded,  with  the  aid  of 
the  book,  into  a  complete  "  craze."  Zouche's  name  was 
on  every  lip;  invitations  to  great  houses  reached  him 
every  week  ;  —  his  poems  began  to  sell  by  thousands  ;  yet 
with  all  this,  the  obstinacy  of  his  erratic  nature  asserted 
itself  as  usual,  undiminished,  and  Zouche  withdrew  from 
the  shower  of  praise  like  a  snail  into  its  shell,  —  answered 
none  of  the  flattering  requests  for  '  the  pleasure  of  his 
company,'  and  handed  whatever  money  he  made  by  his 


The  King's  Defender         347 

poems  over  to  the  funds  of  the  Revolutionary  Committee, 
onlv  accepting  as  much  out  of  it  as  would  pay  for  his 
clothes,  food,  lodging,  and  —  drink!  But  the  more  he 
turned  his  back  on  Fame,  the  more  hotly  it  pursued  him ; 
—  his  very  churlishness  was  talked  about  as  something- 
remarkable  and  admirable,  —  and  when  it  was  suggested 
that  he  was  fonder  of  strong  liquor  than  was  altogether 
seemly,  people  smiled  and  nodded  at  each  other  pleas- 
antly, tapped  their  foreheads  meaningly  and  murmured : 
'  Genius !  Genius !  '  as  though  that  were  a  quality  allied 
of  divine  necessity  to  alcoholism. 

These  two  things,  —  the  advent  of  a  new  dancer  at  the 
Opera,  and  the  "fame  of  Paul  Zouche,  were  the  chief 
topics  of  '  Society  '  outside  its  own  tawdry  personal  con- 
cerns;  but  under  all  the  light  froth  and  spume  of  the 
pleasure-seeking,  pleasure-loving  whirl  of  fashion,  a 
fierce  tempest  was  rising,  and  the  first  whistlings  of  the 
wind  of  revolt  were  already  beginning  to  pierce  through 
the  keyholes  and  crannies  of  the  stately  building  allotted 
to  the  business  of  Government ;  —  so  much  so  indeed  that 
one  terrible  night,  all  unexpectedly,  a  huge  mob,  some 
twenty  thousand  strong,  surrounded  it,  armed  with  every 
conceivable  weapon  from  muskets  to  pickaxes,  and 
shouted  with  horrid  din  for  'Bread  and  Justice!' — these 
being  considered  co-equal  in  the  bewildered  mind  of  the 
excited  multitude.  Likewise  did  they  scream  with  pro- 
trusive energy :  '  Give  us  back  our  lost  Trades !  '  being 
fully  aware,  despite  their  delirium,  that  these  said  '  lost. 
Trades  '  were  being  sold  off  into  '  Trusts,'  wherein  Min- 
isters themselves  held  considerable  shares.  A  two-sided 
clamour  was  also  made  for  '  The  King !  The  King !  ' 
one  side  appealing,  the  other  menacing, — the  latter  under 
the  belief  that  his  Majesty  equally  had  '  shares  '  in  the 
bartered  Trades,  —  the  former  in  the  hope  that  the  coun- 
try's Honour  might  still  be  saved  with  the  help  of  their 
visible  Head. 

Much  difficulty  was  experienced  in  clearing  this  surg- 
ing throng  of  indignant  humanity,  for  though  the  sol- 
diery were  called  out  to  effect  the  work,  they  were  more 
than  half-hearted  in  their  business,  having  considerable 
grievances  of  their  own  to  avenge,  —  and  when  ordered 
to  fire  on  the  people,  flatly  refused  to  do  so.    Two  persons 


348  "Temporal  Power' 

however  succeeded  at  last  in  calming-  and  quelling-  the 
tumult.  One  was  Sergius  Thord,  —  the  other  Lotys. 
Carl  Perousse,  seized  with  an  access  of  '  nerves  '  within 
the  cushioned  luxury  of  his  own  private  room  in  the  re- 
cesses of  the  Government  buildings,  from  whence  he  had 
watched  the  demonstration,  peered  from  one  of  the  win- 
dows, and  saw  one  half  of  the  huge  mob  melt  swiftly 
away  under  the  command  of  a  tall,  majestic-looking 
creature,  whose  massive  form  and  leonine  head  appeared 
Ajax-like  above  the  throng;  and  he  watched  the  other 
half  turn  round  in  brisk  order,  like  a  well-drilled  army, 
and  march  off,  singing  loudly  and  lustily,  headed  by  a 
woman  carried  shoulder-high  before  them,  whose  white 
robes  gfleamed  like  a  flasr  of  truce  in  the  glare  of  the 
torches  blazing  around  her ;  —  and  to  his  utter  amaze- 
ment, fear  and  disgust,  he  heard  the  very  soldiers  shout- 
ing her  name:  "Lotys!  Lotys!"  with  ever-increasing 
and  thunderous  plaudits  of  admiration  and  homage. 
Often  and  often  had  he  heard  that  name,  —  often  and 
often  had  he  dismissed  it  from  his  thoughts  with  light 
masculine  contempt.  Often,  too,  had  it  come  to  the  ears 
of  his  colleague  the  Premier,  who  as  has  been  shown, 
even  in  intimate  converse  with  his  own  private  secretary, 
feigned  complete  ignorance  of  it.  But  it  is  well  under- 
stood that  politicians  generally,  and  diplomatists  always, 
assume  to  have  no  knowledge  whatever  concerning  those 
persons  of  whom  they  are  most  afraid.  Yet  just  now  it 
was  unpleasantly  possible  that  '  the  stone  which  the 
builders  rejected "  might  indirectly  be  the  means  of 
crushing:  the  Ministry,  and  reorganizing  the  affairs  of 
the  country.  His  meditations  on  this  occasion  were  in- 
terrupted by  a  touch  on  the  shoulder  from  behind,  and, 
looking  up,  he  saw  the  Marquis  de  Lutera. 

"  Almost  a  riot !  "  he  said,  forcing  a  pale  smile,  —  "  But 
not  quite!  " 

"  Say,  rather,  almost  a  revolution!  "  retorted  the  Mar- 
quis brusquely ;  —  "  Jesting  is  out  of  place.  We  are  on 
the  brink  of  a  very  serious  disaster !  The  people  are 
roused.  To-night  they  threatened  to  burn  down  these 
buildings  over  our  heads,  —  to  sack  and  destroy  the 
King's  Palace.  The  Socialist  leader,  Thord,  alone  saved 
the  situation." 


The  King's  Defender         349 

"With  the  aid  of  his  mistress?"  suggested  Perousse 
with  a  sneer. 

'*  You  mean  the  woman  they  call  Lotys?  I  am  not 
aware  that  she  is  his  mistress.  I  should  rather  doubt  it. 
The  people  would  not  make  such  a  saint  of  her  if  she  were. 
At  any  rate,  whatever  else  she  may  be,  she  is  certainly 
dangerous ;  —  and  in  a  country  less  free  than  ours  would 
be  placed  under  arrest.  I  must  confess  I  never  believed 
in  her  '  vogue  '  with  the  masses,  until  to-night." 

Perousse  was  silent.  The  great  square  in  front  of  the 
Government  buildings  was  now  deserted,  —  save  for  the 
police  and  soldiery  on  guard  :  but  away  in  the  distance 
could  still  be  heard  faint  echoes  of  singing  and  cheering 
from  the  broken-up  sections  of  the  crowd  that  had  lately 
disturbed  the  peace. 

"Have  you  seen  the   King  lately?"  enquired  Lutera 
presently. 
JSIo. 

"  By  his  absolute  '  veto  '  against  our  propositions  at  the 
last  Cabinet  Council,  the  impending  war  which  would 
have  been  so  useful  to  us,  has  been  quashed  in  embryo," 
went  on  the  Premier  with  a  frown  ;  —  "  This  of  course 
you  know !  And  he  has  the  right  to  exercise  his  veto  if 
he  likes.  But  I  scarcely  expected  you  after  all  you  said, 
to  take  the  matter  so  easily  !  " 

Perousse  smiled,  and  shrugged  his  shoulders  depre- 
catinglv. 

"  However,"  continued  the  Marquis  with  latent  con- 
tempt in  his  tone ;  —  "I  now  quite  understand  your  com- 
placent attitude !  You  have  simply  turned  your  '  Army 
Supplies  Contract  '  into  a  '  Trust '  Combine  with  other 
nations.  —  so  you  will  not  lose,  but  rather  gain  by  the 
transaction !  " 

"  I  never  intended  to  lose!  "  said  Perousse  calmly;  "I 
am  not  troubled  with  scruples.  One  form  of  trade  is  as 
good  as  another.  The  prime  object  of  life  nowadays  is 
to  make  money  ! 

Lutera  looked  at  him,  but  said  nothing. 

"  To  amalgamate  all  the  steel  industries  into  one  inter- 
national Union,  and  get  as  many  shares  myself  in  the 
combine  is  not  at  all  an  unwise  project,"  went  on  Pe- 
rousse, —  "  For  if  our  country  is  not  to  fight,  other  coun- 


2$o  "Temporal  Power' 

tries  will ;  —  and  they  will  require  guns  and  swords  and 
all  such  accoutrements  of  war.  Why  should  we  not  sat- 
isfy the  demand  and  pocket  the  cash  ?  " 

Still  the  Marquis  looked  at  him  steadily. 

"  Are  you  aware,"  —  he  asked  at  last,  "  that  Jost,  to 
save  his  '  press  '  prestige,  has  turned  informer  against 
you  ?  " 

Perousse  sprang  up,  white  with  fury. 

"  By  Heaven,  if  he  has  dared  ! " 

"  There  is  no  '  if  '  in  the  case  "  —  said  Lutera  very 
coldly  —  "He  has,  as  he  himself  says,  'done  his  duty.' 
You  must  be  pretty  well  cognisant  of  what  a  Jew's  notions 
of  '  duty  '  are !  They  can  be  summed  up  in  one  sentence ; 
— '  to  save  his  own  pocket.'  Jost  is  driven  to  fury  and 
desperation  by  the  sudden  success  of  the  rival  newspaper, 
which  has  been  so  prominently  favoured  by  the  King. 
The  shares  in  his  own  journalistic  concerns  are  going 
down  rapidly,  and  he  is  determined  —  naturally  enough 
■ —  to  take  care  of  himself  before  anyone  else.  He  has 
sold  out  of  every  company  with  which  you  have  been, 
or  are  associated  —  and  has  —  so  I  understand,  —  sent 
a  complete  list  of  your  proposed  financial  '  deals,'  invest- 
ments and  other  '  stock  '  to " 

He  paused. 

'Well!"  exclaimed  Perousse  irascibly — "To  whom?" 
1  To  those  whom  it  may  concern,"  —  replied  Lutera 
evasively  —  "I  really  can  give  you  no  exact  information. 
I  have  said  enough  by  way  of  warning !  " 

Perousse  looked  at  him  heedfullv,  and  what  he  saw  in 
that  dark  brooding  face  was  not  of  a  quieting  or  satisfac- 
tory nature. 

"  You  are  as  deeply  involved  as  I  am "  he  began. 

'  Pardon !  "  and  the  Marquis  drew  himself  up  with 
some  dignity  —  "I  was  involved;  —  I  am  not  now.  I 
have  also  taken  care  of  myself !  I  may  have  been  misled, 
but  I  shall  let  no  one  suffer  for  my  errors.  I  have  sent  in 
my  resignation." 

'  Fool !  "  ejaculated  Perousse,  forgetting  all  courtesy 
in  the  sudden  access  of  rage  that  took  possession  of  him 
at  these  words ;  —  '  Fool,  I  say !  At  the  very  moment 
when  you  ought  to  stick  to  the  ship,  you  desert  it !  '' 

"  Are  you  not  ready  to  run  to  the  helm  ?  "  enquired 


The  King's  Defender         351 

Lutera  with  a  satiric  smile ;  "  Surely  you  can  have  no 
doubt  but  that  his  Majesty  will  command  you  to  take 
office!  " 

With  this,  he  turned  on  his  heel,  and  left  his  colleague 
to  a  space  of  very  disagreeable  meditation.  For  the  first 
time  in  his  bold  and  unscrupulous  career,  Perousse  found 
himself  in  an  awkward  position.  If  it  were  indeed  true 
that  Jost  and  Lutera  had  thrown  up  the  game,  especially 
Jost,  then  he,  Perousse,  was  lost.  He  had  made  of  Jost, 
not  only  a  tool,  but  a  confidant.  He  had  used  him,  and 
his  great  leading  newspaper  for  his  own  political  and 
financial  purposes.  He  had  entrusted  him  with  State 
secrets,  in  order  to  speculate  thereon  in  all  the  money- 
markets  of  the  world.  He  had  induced  him  to  approach 
the  Premier  with  crafty  promises  of  support,  and  to  in- 
veigle him  by  insidious  degrees  into  the  same  dishonour- 
able financial  '  deal.'  So  that  if  this  one  man,  —  this  fat, 
unscrupulous  turncoat  of  a  Jew, --chose  to  speak  out, 
he,  Carl  Perousse,  Secretary  of  State,  would  be  the  most 
disgraced  and  ruined  Minister  that  ever  attempted  to  de- 
fraud a  nation !  His  brows  grew  moist  with  fever-heat, 
and  his  tongue  parched,  with  the  dry  thirst  of  fear,  as  the 
gravity  of  the  situation  was  gradually  borne  in  upon  him. 
He  began  to  calculate  contingencies  and  possibilities  of 
escape  from  the  toils  that  seemed  closing  around  him,  — 
and  much  to  his  irritation  and  embarrassment,  he  found 
that  most  of  the  ways  leading  out  of  difficulty  pointed 
first  of  all  to,  —  the  King. 

The  King !  The  very  personage  whom  he  had  called  a 
Dummy,  only  bound  to  do  as  he  was  told!  And  now,  if 
he  could  only  persuade  the  King  that  he,  —  the  poor 
Secretary  of  State,  —  was  a  deeply-injured  man,  whose 
life's  effort  had  been  solely  directed  towards  '  the  good  of 
the  country,'  yet  who  nevertheless  was  cruelly  wronged 
and  calumniated  by  his  enemies,  all  might  yet  be  well. 

"  Were  he  only  like  other  monarchs  whom  I  know," 
he  reflected.  "  I  could  have  easily  involved  him  in  the 
Trades  deal !  Then  the  press  could  have  been  silenced, 
and  the  public  fooled.  With  five  or  six  hundred  thousand 
shares  in  the  biggest  concerns,  he  would  have  been  com- 
pelled to  work  under  me  for  the  amalgamation  of  our 
Trades  with  the  financial  forces  of  other  countries,  re- 


352  " Temporal  Power' 

gardless  of  the  rubbish  talked  by  '  patriots  '  on  the  loss  of 
our  position  and  prestige.     But  he  is  not  fond  of  money, 

—  he  is  not  fond  of  money !  Would  that  he  were !  —  for 
so  /  should  be  virtually  king  of  the  King !  " 

Cogitating  various  problems  on  his  return  to  his  own 
house  that  evening,  he  remembered  that  despite  numerous 
protests  and  petitions,  the  King  had,  up  to  the  present, 
paid  no  attention  to  the  appeals  of  his  people  against  the 
increasing  inroads  of  taxation.  The  only  two  measures 
he  had  carried  with  a  high  and  imperative  hand,  were 
first,  —  the  '  vetoing  '  of  an  intended  declaration  of  war, 

—  and  the  refusal  of  extensive  lands  to  the  Jesuits.  The 
first  was  the  more  important  action,  as,  while  it  had  won 
the  gratitude  and  friendship  of  a  previously  hostile  State, 
it  had  lost  several  '  noble  '  gamblers  in  the  griefs  of  na- 
tions, some  millions  of  money.  The  check  to  the  Jesuits 
was  comparatively  trivial,  yet  it  had  already  produced 
far-reaching  effects,  and  had  offended  the  powers  at  the 
Vatican.  But,  beyond  this,  things  remained  apparently 
as  they  were ;  true,  the  Socialists  were  growing  stronger ; 

—  but  there  was  no  evidence  that  the  Government  was 
growing  weaker. 

"  After  all,"  thought  Perousse,  as  a  result  of  his  medi- 
tations ;  "  there  is  no  immediate  cause  for  anxiety.  If 
Lutera  has  sent  in  his  resignation,  it  may  not  be  accepted. 
That  rests  —  like  other  things  —  with  the  King."  And 
a  vague  surprise  affected  him  at  this  fact.  "  Curious !  " 
he  muttered,  —  "  Very  curious  that  he,  who  was  a  Noth- 
ing, should  now  be  a  Something !  The  change  has  taken 
place  very  rapidly,  —  and  very  strangely !  I  wonder 
what  —  or  who  —  is  moving  him  ?  " 

But  to  this  inward  query  he  received  no  satisfactory 
reply.  The  mysterious  upshot  of  the  whole  position  was 
the  same,  —  namely,  that  somehow,  in  the  most  unac- 
countable, inexplicable  manner,  the  wind  and  weather  of 
affairs  had  so  veered  round,  that  the  security  of  Ministers 
and  the  stability  of  Government  rested,  not  with  them- 
selves or  the  nature  of  their  quarrels  and  discussions,  but 
solely  on  one  whom  they  were  accustomed  to  consider  as 
a  mere  ornamental  figure-head,  —  the  King. 

Some  few  days  after  the  unexpected  turbulent  rising  of 
the  mob,  it  was  judged  advisable  to  give  the  people  some- 


The  King's  Defender         353 

thing  in  the  way  of  a  '  gala,'  or  spectacle,  in  order  to  dis- 
tract their  attention  from  their  own  grievances,  and  to 
draw  them  away  from  their  Socialistic  clubs  and  conven- 
tions, to  the  contemplation  of  a  parade  of  Royal  state  and 
splendour.  The  careful  student  of  History  cannot  fail 
to  note  that  whenever  the  rottenness  and  inadequacy  of  a 
Government  are  most  apparent,  great  '  shows  '  and  Royal 
ceremonials  are  always  resorted  to,  in  order  to  divert 
the  minds  of  the  people  from  the  bitter  consideration  of  a 
deficient  Exchequer  and  a  diminishing  National  Honour. 
The  authorities  who  organize  these  State  masquerades 
are  wise  in  their  generation.  They  know  that  the  work- 
ing-classes very  seldom  have  the  leisure  to  think  for 
themselves,  and  that  they  often  lack  the  intelligent  ability 
to  foresee  the  difficulties  and  dangers  menacing  their 
country's  welfare; — but  that  they  are  always  ready,  with 
the  strangest  fatuity,  patience,  and  good-nature,  to  take 
their  wives  and  families  to  see  any  new  variation  of  a 
world's  '  Punch  and  Judy  '  play,  particularly  if  there  is 
a  savour  of  Royalty  about  it,  accompanied  by  a  brass 
band,  well-equipped  soldiers,  and  gilded  coaches.  Though 
they  take  no  part  in  the  pageant,  beyond  consenting  to  be 
hustled  and  rudely  driven  back  by  the  police  like  intru- 
sive sheep,  out  of  the  sacred  way  of  a  Royal  progress, 
they  nevertheless  have  an  instinctive  (and  very  correct) 
idea  that  somehow  or  other  it  is  all  part  of  the  '  fun  '  for 
which  they  have  paid  their  money.  There  is  no  more 
actual  reverence  or  respect  for  the  positive  Person  of 
Royalty  in  such  a  parade,  than  there  is  for  the  Wonderful 
Performing  Pig  who  takes  part  in  a  circus-procession 
through  a  country  town.  The  public  impression  is 
simple,  —  That  having  to  pay  for  the  up-keep  of  a 
Throne,  its  splendours  should  be  occasionally  '  trotted 
out '  to  see  whether  they  are  worth  the  nation's  annual 
expenditure. 

Moved  entirely  by  this  plain  and  practical  sentiment,  the 
popular  breast  was  thrilled  with  some  amount  of  interest 
and  animation  when  it  was  announced  that  his  Majesty 
the  King  would,  on  a  certain  afternoon,  go  in  state  to  lay 
the  foundation-stone  of  the  Grand  National  Theatre, 
which  was  the  very  latest  pet  project  of  various  cogitating 
Jews   and   cautious    millionaires.      The    Grand    National 

23 


354  "Temporal  Power' 

Theatre  was  intended  to  '  supply/  according  to  a  stock 
newspaper  phrase,  '  a  long-felt  want.'  It  was  to  be  a 
'  philanthropic '  scheme,  by  which  the  '  Philanthropists  ' 
would  receive  excellent  interest  for  their  money.  Osten- 
sibly, it  was  to  provide  the  '  masses  '  with  the  highest  form 
of  dramatic  entertainment  at  the  lowest  cost ;  —  but  there 
were  many  intricate  wheels  within  wheels  in  the  elaborate 
piece  of  stock- jobbing  mechanism,  by  which  the  public 
would  be  caught  and  fooled  —  as  usual  —  and  the  specu- 
lators therein  rendered  triumphant.  Sufficient  funds 
were  at  hand  to  start  the  building  of  the  necessary  edifice, 
and  the  King's  '  gracious  '  consent  to  lay  the  first  stone, 
with  full  state  and  ceremony,  was  hailed  by  the  promoters 
of  the  plan  as  of  the  happiest  augury.  For  with  such 
approval  and  support  openly  given,  all  the  Snob-world 
would  follow  the  Royal  '  lead  '  —  quite  as  infallibly  as  it 
did  in  the  case  of  another  monarch  who,  persuaded  to 
drink  of  a  certain  mineral  spring,  and  likewise  to  '  take 
shares  '  in  its  bottled  waters,  turned  the  said  spring  into 
a  '  paying  concern  '  at  once,  thereby  causing  much  re- 
joicing among  the  Semites.  The  '  mob  '  might  certainly 
decline  to  imitate  the  Snob-world,  —  but,  considering  the 
recent  riotous  outbreak,  it  might  be  as  well  that  the  over- 
bold and  unwashen  populace  should  be  awed  by  the  pan- 
oply and  glory  of  earthly  Majesty  passing  by  in  earthly 
splendour. 

Alas,  poor  Snob-world !  How  often  has  it  thought  the 
same  thing !  How  often  has  it  fancied  that  with  show  and 
glitter  and  brazen  ostentation  of  mere  purse-power,  it  can 
quell  the  rage  for  Justice,  which,  like  a  spark  of  God's 
own  eternal  Being,  burns  for  ever  in  the  soul  of  a  People ! 
Ah,  that  rage  for  Justice !  —  that  divine  fury  and  fever 
which  with  strong  sweating  and  delirium  shakes  the  body 
politic  and  cleanses  it  from  accumulated  sickly  humours 
and  pestilence !  What  would  the  nations  be  without 
its  periodical  and  merciful  visitations !  Tearing  down 
old  hypocrisies,  —  rooting  up  weedy  abuses,  —  rending 
asunder  rotten  conventions,  —  what  wonder  if  thrones 
and  sceptres,  and  even  the  heads  of  kings  get  sometimes 
mixed  into  the  general  swift  clearance  of  long-accumu- 
lated dirt  and  disorder !  And  vainly  at  such  times  does 
the  Snob-world  anxiously  proffer  golden  pieces  for  the 


The  King's  Defender         355 

price  of  its  life!  There  shall  not  then  he  millions  enough 
in  all  the  earth,  to  purchase  the  safety  of  one  proved  Liar 
who  has  wilfully  robbed  his  neighbour ! 

No  hint  of  the  underworkings  of  the  people's  thought, 
or  the  movement  of  the  times  was,  however,  apparent  in 
the  aspect  of  the  gay  multitudes  that  poured  along  the 
principal  thoroughfares  of  the  metropolis  on  the  day  ap- 
pointed for  the  ceremony  in  which  the  King  had  consented 
to  take  the  leading  part.  Poor  and  rich  together,  vied 
with  one  another  to  secure  the  various  best  points  of  view 
from  whence  the  Royal  pageant  could  be  seen,  winding 
down  in  glittering  length  from  the  Palace  and  Citadel, 
past  the  Cathedral,  and  so  on  to  the  great  open  square, 
where,  surrounded  by  fluttering  flags  and  streamers,  a 
huge  block  of  stone  hung  suspended  by  ropes  from  a 
crane,  ready  to  be  lowered  at  the  Royal  touch,  and  fixed 
in  its  place  by  the  Royal  trowel,  as  the  visible  and  solid 
beginning  of  the  stately  fabric,  which,  according  to  pic- 
torial models  was  to  rise  from  this,  its  first  foundation, 
into  a  temple  of  art  and  architecture,  devoted  to  Mel- 
pomene and  Thalia. 

It  was  a  glorious  day,  —  the  sun  shone  with  vigorous 
heat  and  lustre  from  a  cloudless  sky,  —  the  sea  was 
calm  as  an  inland  pool  —  and  people  wore  their  lightest, 
brightest  and  most  festive  attire.  Fair  "  society  "  dames, 
clad  in  the  last  capricious  mode  of  ever-changing  Fashion, 
and  shading  their  delicate,  and  not  always  natural,  com- 
plexions with  airy  parasols,  filmy  and  finely-coloured  as 
the  petals  of  flowers,  queened  it  over  the  flocking  crowds 
of  pedestrians,  as  they  were  driven  past  in  their  softly- 
cushioned  carriages  drawn  by  high-stepping  horses ;  — 
all  the  boudoirs  and  drawing-rooms  of  the  most  exclusive 
houses  seemed  to  have  emptied  their  luxury-loving  occu- 
pants into  the  streets,  —  and  the  whole  town  was,  for  a 
few  hours  at  any  rate,  apparently  given  over  to  holiday. 
As  the  long  line  of  soldiery  preceding  the  King's  carriage, 
wound  down  from  the  Citadel,  groups  of  people  cheered, 
and  waved  hats  and  handkerchiefs,  —  then,  when  his 
Majesty's  own  escort  came  into  view,  the  cheering  was  re-* 
doubled,  —  and  at  last  when  the  cumbrous,  over-gilded, 
over-painted  "  Cinderella  "  State-coach  appeared,  and  the 
familiar,  but  somewhat  sternly-composed  features  of  the 


356  "Temporal  Power' 

King  himself  were  perceived  through  the  glass  windows, 
a  roar  of  acclamation,  like  the  thundering  of  a  long  wave 
on  an  extensive  stretch  of  rock-bound  coast,  echoed  far 
and  near,  and  again  and  again  was  repeated  with  in- 
creased and  ever-increasing  clamour.  Who,  —  hearing 
such  an  enthusiastic  greeting  —  would  or  could  have 
imagined  for  one  moment  that  the  King,  who  was  the 
object  and  centre  of  these  tremendous  plaudits,  was  at  the 
same  time  judged  as  an  enemy  and  an  obstruction  to  jus- 
tice by  more  than  one  half  of  the  population !  Yet  it  was 
so,  —  and  so  has  often  been.  The  populace  will  shout 
itself  hoarse  for  any  cause ;  whether  it  be  a  king  going 
to  be  crowned,  or  a  king  going  to  be  executed,  the  stim- 
ulus is  the  same,  and  the  enthusiasm  as  passionate.  It  is 
merely  the  contagious  hysteria  of  a  moment  that  tickles 
their  lungs  to  expansion  in  noise ;  —  but  the  real  sentiment 
of  admiration  for  a  fine  character  which  might  perhaps 
have  moved  the  subjects  of  Richard  Cceur  de  Lion  to  cries 
of  exultation,  is  generally  non-existent.  And  why?  For 
no  cause  truly  !  —  save  that  Lion-Hearts  in  kings  no  more 
pulsate  through  nations. 

By  the  time  the  Royal  procession  reached  its  destination 
the  crowd  had  largely  increased,  and  the  press  of  people 
round  the  scene  of  the  forthcoming  function  was  great 
enough  to  be  seriously  embarrassing  to  both  the  soldiery 
and  the  police.  Slowly  the  gorgeous  State-coach  lum- 
bered up  to  the  entrance  of  the  ground  railed  off  for  the 
ceremony,  —  and  between  a  line  of  armed  guards,  the 
King  alighted.  Vociferous  cheering  again  broke  out  on 
all  sides,  which  his  Majesty  acknowledged  in  the  usual 
formal  manner  by  a  monotonous  military  salute  performed 
at  regular  intervals.  Received  with  obsequious  defer- 
ence by  all  the  persons  concerned  in  the  Grand  National 
Theatre  project,  he  conversed  with  one  or  two,  shook 
hands  with  others,  and  was  just  on  the  point  of  addressing 
a  few  of  his  usual  suave  compliments  to  some  pretty 
women  who  had  been  invited  to  adorn  the  scene,  when 
David  Jost  advanced  smilingly,  evidently  sure  of  a 
•friendly  recognition.  For  had  not  the  King,  when  Crown 
Prince  and  Heir-Apparent,  hunted  game  in  his  preserves? 
—  yea,  had  he  not  even  dined  with  him  ?  —  and  had  not 
he,  Jost,  written  whole  columns  of  vapid  twaddle  about 


The  King's  Defender         357 

the  '  Royal  smile  '  and  the  '  Royal  favour  '  till  the  outside 
public  had  sickened  at  every  stroke  of  his  flunkey  pen? 
How  came  it,  then,  that  his  Majesty  seemed  on  this  occa- 
sion to  have  no  recollection  of  him,  and  looked  over  and 
beyond  him  in  the  airiest  way,  as  though  he  were  a  far-off 
Jew  in  Jerusalem,  instead  of  being  the  assumptive-Ortho- 
dox proprietor  of  several  European  newspapers  published 
for  the  general  misinformation  and  plunder  of  gullible 
Christians?  Dismayed  at  the  Royal  coldness  of  eye,  Jost 
stepped  back  with  an  uncomfortably  crimson  face ;  and 
one  of  the  ladies  present,  personally  knowing  him,  and 
seeing  his  discomfiture,  ventured  to  call  the  King's  atten- 
tion to  his  presence  and  to  make  way  for  his  approach,  by 
murmuring  gently,  "  Mr.  Jost,  Sir!  " 

"  Ah,  indeed !  "  said  the  monarch,  with  calm  grey 
eyes  still  fixed  on  vacancy,  —  "I  do  not  know  anyone  of 
that  name !  Permit  me  to  admire  that  exquisite  arrange- 
ment of  flowers !  "  and,  smiling  affably  on  the  astonished 
and  embarrassed  lady,  he  led  her  aside,  altogether  away 
from  Jost's  vicinity. 

Stricken  to  the  very  dust  of  abasement  by  this  direct 
"  cut "  so  publicly  administered,  the  crestfallen  editor 
and  proprietor  of  many  journals  stood  aghast  for  a  mo- 
ment, —  then  as  various  unbidden  thoughts  began  to  chase 
one  another  through  his  bewildered  head,  he  was  seized 
with  a  violent  trembling.  He  remembered  every  foolish, 
imprudent  and  disloyal  remark  he  had  made  to  the 
stranger  named  Pasquin  Leroy  who  had  called  upon  him 

bearing  the  Premier's  signet, and  reflecting  that  this 

very  Pasquin  Leroy  was  now,  by  some  odd  chance,  a  con- 
tributor of  political  leaders  and  other  articles  to  the  rival 
daily  newspaper  which  had  published  the  King's  official 
refusal  of  a  grant  of  land  to  the  Jesuits,  he  writhed  in- 
wardly with  impotent  fury.  For  might  not  this  unknown 
man,  Leroy,  —  if  he  were,  —  as  he  possibly  was, --a 
friend  of  the  King's  —  go  to  the  full  length  of  declaring 
all  he  knew  and  all  he  had  learned  from  Jost's  own  lips, 
concerning  certain  '  financial  secrets/  which  if  fully  dis- 
closed, would  utterly  dismember  the  Government  and  put 
the  nation  itself  in  peril  ?  Might  he  not  already  even  have 
informed  the  King?  With  his  little,  swine-like  eyes  re- 
treating under  the  crinkling  fat  of  his  lowering  brows, 


358.        "Temporal  Power' 

Jost,  hot  and  cold  by  turns,  wandered  confusedly  out  of 
the  '  exclusive  '  set  of  persons  connected  with  the  '  Grand 
National  Theatre  '  scheme,  who  were  now  gathered  round 
the  suspended  foundation-stone  to  which  the  King  was 
approaching.  He  pretended  not  to  see  the  curious  eyes 
that  stared  at  him,  or  the  sneering  mouths  that  smiled  at 
the  open  slight  he  had  received.  Pushing  his  way  through 
the  crowd,  he  jostled  against  the  thin  black-garmented 
figure  of  a  priest,  —  no  other  than  Monsignor  Del  Fortis, 
who,  with  an  affable  word  of  recognition,  drew  aside  to 
allow  him  passage.  Affecting  his  usual  '  company-man- 
ner '  of  tolerant  good-nature,  he  forced  himself  to  speak 
to  this  '  holy  '  man,  who,  at  any  rate,  had  paid  him  good 
money  in  round  sums  for  so-called  'articles'  or  rather  puff- 
advertisements  in  his  paper  concerning  Church  matters. 

"Good-day,  Monsignor!'  he  said  —  "You  are  not 
often  seen  at  a  Royal  pageant !  How  comes  it  that  you, 
of  all  persons  in  the  world  have  brought  yourself  to  wit- 
ness the  laying  of  the  foundation-stone  of  a  Theatre? 
Does  not  your  calling  forbid  anv  patronage  of  the  mimic 
Art?" 

The  priest's  thin  lips,  parted,  showing  a  glimmer  of 
wolfish  teeth  behind  the  pale  stretched  line  of  flesh. 

"  Not  by  any  means!  "  he  replied  suavely  —  "  In  the 

present   levelling  and   amalgamation   of   social   interests, 

the  Church  and  Stage  are  drawing  very  closely  together." 

'True!"  said  Jost,  with  a  grin — "One  might  very  well 

be  taken  for  the  other !  " 

Del  Fortis  looked  at  him  meditatively. 
'  This,"  he   said,   waving  his   lean  hand  towards  the 
centre  of  the  brilliant  crowd  where  now  the  King  stood, 
"  is  a  kind  of  drama  in  its  way.    And  you,  Mr.  Jost,  have 
just  played  one  little  scene  in  it!  " 

Jost  reddened,  and  bit  his  lip. 

'  I  am  also  another  actor  on  the  boards,"  continued 
Del  Fortis  smiling  darkly ;  —  "if  only  as  a  spectator  in 
the  '  super  '  crowd.  And  other  comedians  and  tragedians 
are  doubtless  present,  of  whom  we  may  hear  anon !  " 

'  The  King  has  nasty  humours  sometimes,"  said  Jost 
shortly,  looking  down  at  the  flower  in  his  buttonhole,  and 
absently  flicking  off  one  of  its  petals  with  his  fat  fore- 
finger —  "  He  ought  to  be  made  to  pay  for  them !  " 


The  King's  Defender         359 

"Ha,  ha!  Very  good!  Certainly!"  and  Del  Fortis 
gave  a  piously-deprecating  nod  —  "  He  ought  to  be  made 
to  pay !  Especially  when  he  hurts  the  feelings  of  his  old 
friends  !  Are  you  going,  Mr.  Jost  ?  Yes  ?  What  a  pity ! 
But  you  no  doubt  have  your  reporters  present  ?  " 

"  Oh,  there  are  plenty  of  them  about,"  —  said  Jost 
carelessly,  "  But  I  shall  condense  all  the  account  of  these 
proceedings  into  a  few  lines." 

"  Ha,  —  ha  !  "  laughed  Del  Fortis,  —  "I  understand  ! 
Revenge  —  revenge !  But  —  in  certain  cases  —  the 
briefest  description  is  sometimes  the  most  graphic  —  and 
startling !    Good-day  !  " 

Jost  returned  the  salute  curtly,  and  went,  —  not  to 
leave  the  scene  altogether,  but  merely  to  take  up  a  posi- 
tion of  vantage  immediately  above  and  behind  the  surging 
crowd,  where  from  a  distance  he  could  watch  all  that  was 
going  on.  He  saw  the  King  lift  his  hand  towards  the 
ropes  and  pulleys  of  the  crane  above  him,  —  and  as  it  was 
touched  by  the  Royal  finger,  the  foundation  stone  was 
slowly  lowered  into  the  deep  socket  prepared  for  it,  where 
gold  and  silver  coins  of  the  year's  currency  had  already 
been  strewn.  Then,  with  the  aid  of  a  silver  trowel  set  in 
a  handle  of  gold,  and  obsequiously  presented  by  the  man- 
aging director  of  the  scheme,  his  Majesty  dabbed  in  a 
little  mortar,  and  declared  in  a  loud  voice  that  the  stone 
was  '  well  and  truly  laid.'  A  burst  of  cheering  greeted 
the  announcement,  and  the  band  struck  up  the  country's 
National  Hymn,  this  being  the  usual  sign  that  the  cere- 
mony was  at  an  end.  Whereupon  the  King,  shaking  hands 
again  cordially  with  the  various  parties  concerned,  and 
again  shedding  the  lustre  of  his  smile  upon  the  various 
ladies  with  whom  he  had  been  conversing,  made  his  way 
very  leisurely  to  his  State  equipage,  which,  with  its  six 
magnificently  caparisoned  horses,  stood  prepared  for  his 
departure,  the  door  being  already  held  open  for  him  by 
one  of  the  attendant  powdered  and  gold-laced  flunkeys. 
Sir  Roger  de  Launay  walked  immediately  behind  his 
Sovereign,  and  Professor  von  Glauben  was  close  at  hand, 
companioned  by  two  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  Royal  House- 
hold. All  at  once  a  young  man  pushed  himself  out  of  the 
crowd  nearest  to  the  enclosure,  —  paused  a  moment  ir- 
resolute, and  then,  with  a  single  determined  bound  reached 
the  King's  side. 


36o 


"Temporal  Power 


"Thief  of  the  People's  money!  Take  that!"  he 
shouted,  wildly,  —  and,  brandishing  aloft  a  glittering 
stiletto,  he  aimed  it  straight  at  the  monarch's  heart ! 

But  the  blow  never  reached  its  destination,  for  a 
woman,  closely  veiled  in  black,  suddenly  threw  herself 
swiftly  and  adroitly  between  the  King's  body  and  the  de- 
scending blade,  shielding  his  breast  with  both  her  out- 
stretched arms.  The  dagger  struck  her  violently,  piercing 
her  flesh  through  the  upper  part  of  her  right  shoulder, 
and  under  the  sheer  force  of  the  blow,  she  fell  senseless. 

The  whole  incident  took  place  in  less  time  than  it  could 
be  breathlessly  told,  —  and  even  as  she  who  had  risked 
her  life  to  save  the  King's,  sank  bleeding  to  the  ground, 
the  police  seized  the  assassin  red-handed  in  his  mad  and 
criminal  act,  and  wrenched  the  murderous  weapon  from 
his  hand.  He  was  a  mere  lad  of  eighteen  or  twenty,  and 
seemed  dazed,  submitting  to  be  bound  and  handcuffed 
without  a  word.  The  King,  perfectly  tranquil  and  unhurt, 
bared  his  head  to  the  wild  cries  and  hysterical  cheering 
of  the  excited  spectators  to  whom  his  narrow  escape  from 
death  appeared  a  kind  of  miracle,  moving  them  to  frantic 
paroxysms  of  passionate  enthusiasm,  and  then  bent  anx- 
iously down  over  the  prostrate  form  of  his  rescuer,  en- 
deavouring himself  to  raise  her  from  the  ground.  A 
hundred  hands  at  once  proffered  assistance ;  —  Sir  Roger 
de  Launay,  pale  to  the  lips  with  the  shock  of  sick  horror 
he  had  experienced  at  what  might  so  easily  have  been  a 
national  catastrophe,  assisted  the  police  in  forming  a 
strong  cordon  round  the  person  of  his  beloved  Royal 
master,  in  order  to  guard  him  against  any  further  possible 
attack,  —  and  Professor  von  Glauben,  obeying  the  King's 
signal,  knelt  down  by  the  unconscious  woman's  side  to 
examine  the  extent  of  her  injury.  Gently  he  turned  back 
the  close  folds  of  her  enveloping  veil,  —  then  gave  a  little 
start  and  cry : 

"  Gott  in  Himmel !  "     And  he  hastily  drew  down  the 
veil  again  as  the  King  approached  with  the  question  — 

"  Is  she  dangerously  hurt  ?  " 

"  No,  Sir !  —  I  think  not  —  I  hope  not but !  " 

And  the  Professor's  eyes  looked  volumes  of  suggestion. 
Catching  his  expression,  the  King  drew  still  nearer. 

"  Uncover  her  face,  —  give  her  air !  "  he  commanded. 


The  King's  Defender        361 

With  a  perplexed  side-glance  at  Sir  Roger  de  Launay, 
the  Professor  obeyed,  —  and  the  sunshine  fell  full  on  the 
white  calm  features  and  closed  eyelids  of  l!<  the  woman 
known  as  Lotys."  Her  black  dress  was  darkly  stained 
and  soaked  with  oozing  blood  —  and  the  deep  dull  gold 
of  her  hair  was  touched  here  and  there  with  the  same 
crimson  hue  ;  —  but  there  was  a  smile  on  her  lips,  and  her 
face  was  as  fair  and  placid  as  though  it  had  been  smoothed 
out  of  all  pain  and  trouble  by  the  restful  touch  of  Death. 
Silently,  and  with  a  perfectly  inscrutable  demeanour,  the 
King  surveyed  her  for  a  moment.  Then,  raising  his 
plumed  hat  with  grave  grace  and  courtesy,  he  looked 
on  all  those  who  stood  about  him,  soldiery,  police  and 
spectators. 

"Does  anyone  here  present  know  this  lady?''  he 
demanded. 

A  crowd  of  eager  heads  were  pushed  forward,  and  then 
a  low  murmur  began,  which  deepened  into  a  steady  roar 
of  delighted  acclamation. 

"  Lotys  !     Lotys  !  " 

The  name  was  caught  up  quickly  and  repeated  from 
mouth  to  mouth  —  till  away  on  the  extreme  outskirts  of 
the  crowd  it  was  tossed  back  again  with  shouts  —  "  Lotys  ! 
Lotys!" 

Swiftly  the  news  ran  like  an  electric  current  through 
the  whole  body  of  the  populace,  that  it  was  Lotys,  their 
own  Lotys,  their  friend,  their  fellow-worker,  the  idol  of 
the  poorer  classes,  that  had  saved  the  life  of  the  King ! 
Half-incredulous,  half-admiring,  the  mob  listened  to  the 
growing  rumour,  and  the  general  excitement  increased  in 
intensity  among  them.  David  Jost,  from  his  point  of 
observation,  caught  the  infection,  and  realizing  at  once 
the  value  of  the  dramatic  "  copy  "  for  his  paper,  to  be 
obtained  out  of  such  a  situation,  jumped  into  the  nearest 
vehicle  and  was  driven  straight  to  his  offices,  there  to  send 
electric  messages  of  the  news  to  every  quarter  of  the 
world,  and  to  endeavour  by  printed  loyal  outbursts  of 
"  gush  "'  to  turn  the  current  of  the  King's  displeasure 
against  him  into  a  more  favourable  direction.  Meanwhile 
the  King  himself  gave  orders  that  his  wounded  rescuer 
should  be  conveyed  in  one  of  the  Royal  carriages  straight 
to  the  Palace,  and  there  attended  by  his  own  physician. 


362 


14 


Temporal  Power 


Professor  von  Glauben  was  entrusted  with  the  carrying- 
out  of  this  command,  ■ —  and  the  monarch,  then  enter- 
ing his  own  State-equipage,  started  on  his  homeward 
progress. 

Thundering  cheers  now  greeted  him  at  every  step ;  — 
for  an  hour  at  least  the  populace  went  mad  with  rapture, 
shouting,  singing  and  calling  alternately  for  l  The 
King !  "  and  "  Lotys !  "  with  no  respect  of  persons,  or 
consideration  as  to  their  differing  motives  and  opposite 
stations  in  life.  Two  facts  only  were  clear  to  them,  — 
first  an  attempt  had  been  made  to  assassinate  the  King, 
—  secondly,  that  Lotys  had  frustrated  the  attempt,  and 
risked  her  own  life  to  save  that  of  the  monarch.  These 
were  enough  to  set  fire  to  the  passionate  sentiments  of  a 
warm-blooded,  restless  Southern  people,  and  they  gave 
full  sway  to  their  feelings  accordingly.  So,  amid  deafen- 
ing plaudits,  the  Royal  procession  wended  its  way  back  to 
the  Citadel,  the  State-coach  moving  at  a  snail's  pace  in 
order  to  allow  the  people  to  see  the  King  for  themselves, 
and  make  sure  he  was  uninjured,  as  they  cheered,  and 
followed  it  in  surging  throngs  to  the  very  gates  of  the 
Palace,  —  while  in  another  and  reverse  direction  the 
wretched  youth  whose  miserable  effort  to  commit  a  das- 
tard crime  had  so  fortunately  failed,  was  marched  off, 
under  the  guard  of  a  strong  body  of  police  to  the  State- 
Prison,  there  to  await  his  trial  and  condemnation.  A 
small  crowd,  hooting  and  cursing  the  criminal,  pursued 
him  as  he  went,  and  one  personage,  austere  and  dignified, 
also  followed,  at  a  distance,  as  though  curious  to  see  the 
last  of  the  would-be  murderer  ere  he  was  shut  out  from 
liberty,  —  and  this  was  Monsignor  Del  Fortis. 


CHAPTER    XXIV 
a  woman's  reason 

WHEN  Lotys  recovered  from  her  death-like  swoon, 
she  found  herself  on  a  sofa  among  heaped-up 
soft  cushions,  in  a  small  semi-darkened  room  hung  with 
draperies  of  rose  satin,  which  were  here  and  there  drawn 
aside  to  show  exquisite  groupings  of  Saxe  china  and  rare 
miniatures  on  ivory ;  —  the  ceiling  above  her  was  a  painted 
mirror,  where  Venus  in  her  car  of  flowers,  drawn  by 
doves,  was  pictured  floating  across  a  crystal  sea,  —  the 
floor  was  strewn, with  white  bearskins,  — the  corners  were 
filled  with  palms  and  flowers.  As  she  regarded  these 
unaccustomed  surroundings  wonderingly,  a  firm  hand 
was  laid  on  her  wrist,  and  a  brusque  voice  said  in  her 
ear:  — 

"  Lie  still,  if  you  please !  You  have  been  seriously  hurt ! 
You  must  rest." 

She  turned  feebly  towards  the  speaker,  and  saw  a  big 
burly  man  with  a  bald  head,  seated  at  her  side,  who  held 
a  watch  in  one  hand,  and  felt  her  pulse  with  the  other. 
She  could  not  discern  his  features  plainly,  for  his  back 
was  set  to  the  already  shaded  light,  and  her  own  eyes 
were  weak  and  dim. 

"  You  are  very  kind  !  "  she  murmured "  I  do  not 

quite  remember  —  Ah,  yes  !  "  and  a  quick  flash  of  anima- 
tion passed  over  her  face  -  '  I  know  now  !  The  King ! 
Is  —  is  all  well?  " 

"  All  is  well,  thanks  to  you  !  "  replied  the  gruff  voice  — 
"  You  have  saved  his  life." 

"  Thank  God !  "  -  and  she  closed  her  eyes  again 
wearily,  while  two  slow  tears  trickled  from  under  the  shut 
white  lids  —  "  Thank  God  !  " 

Professor  von  Glauben,  placed  in  charge  of  her  by  the 
King's  command,  gently  relinquished  the  small  white  hand 


364         "Temporal  Power" 

he  held,  and  stepping  noiselessly  to  a  table  near  at  hand, 
poured  out  from  one  of  the  various  little  flasks  set  thereon, 
a  cordial  the  properties  of  which  were  alone  known  to 
himself,  and  held  the  glass  to  her  lips. 

'  Drink  this  off  at  once !  "  —  he  said  authoritatively, 
yet  kindly. 

She  obeyed.  He  then,  turning  aside  with  the  empty 
glass,  sat  down  and  watched  her  from  a  little  distance. 
Soon  a  faint  flush  tinged  her  dead-white  skin,  and  pres- 
ently, with  a  deep  sigh,  she  opened  her  eyes  again.  Then 
she  became  aware  of  a  stiffness  and  smart  in  her  right 
shoulder,  and  saw  that  it  was  tightly  bandaged,  and  that 
the  bodice  of  her  dress  was  cut  away  from  it.  Lying  per- 
fectly still,  she  gradually  brought  her  strong  spirit  of 
self-control  to  bear  on  the  situation,  and  tried  to  collect 
her  scattered  thoughts.  Very  few  minutes  sufficed  her 
to  recollect  all  that  had  happened,  and  as  she  realised 
more  and  more  vividly  that  she  was  in  some  strange  and 
luxurious  abode  where  she  had  no  business  or  desire  to 
be,  she  gathered  all  the  forces  of  her  mind  to  her  aid,  and 
with  but  a  slight  effort,  sat  upright.  Professor  von 
Glauben  came  towards  her  with  an  exclamation  of  warn- 
ing—  but  she  motioned  him  back  with  a  very  decided 
gesture. 

'  Please  do  not  trouble!  "  she  said  —  "I  am  quite  able 
to  move  —  to  stand  —  see !  "  And  she  rose  to  her  feet, 
trembling  a  little,  and  steadying  herself  by  resting  one 
hand  on  the  edge  of  the  sofa.  "  I  do  not  know  who  you 
are,  but  I  am  sure  you  have  been  most  kind  to  me!  And 
if  you  would  do  me  a  still  greater  kindness,  you  will  let 
me  go  away  from  here  at  once !  " 

"  Impossible,  Madame !  "  declared  the  Professor,  firmly 

—  "  His  Majesty,  the  King " 

"What  of  his  Majesty,  the  King?"  demanded  Lotys 
with  sudden  hauteur  —  "Am  I  not  mistress  of  my  own 
actions?  " 

The  Professor  made  an  elaborate  bow. 

"  Most  unquestionably  you  are,  Madame !  "  he  replied 

—  "But  you  are  also  for  the  moment,  a  guest  in  the  King's 
Palace ;  and  having  saved  his  life,  you  will  surely  not 
withhold  from  him  the  courteous  acceptance  of  his 
hospitality  ?  " 


A  Woman's  Reason  365 

'The  King's  Palace!"  she  echoed,  and  a  little  dis- 
dainful smile  crossed  her  lips  —  "I,  —  Lotys,  --in  the 
King's  Palace!  "  She  moved  a  few  steps,  and  drew  her- 
self proudly  erect.  '  You,  sir,  are  a  servant  of  the 
King's?" 

'  I  am  his  Majesty's  resident  physician,  at  your  ser- 
vice!' he  said,  with  another  bow  —  "1  have  had  the 
honour  of  attending  to  the  wound  you  so  heroically  re- 
ceived in  his  defence,  —  and  though  it  is  not  a  dangerous 
wound,  it  is  an  exceedingly  unpleasant  one  I  assure  you, 
—  and  will  give  you  a  good  deal  of  pain  and  trouble.  Let 
me  advise  you  very  earnestly  to  stay  where  you  are,  and 
rest  —  do  not  think  of  leaving  the  Palace  to-night." 

She  sighed  restlessly.  "  I  must  not  think  of  staying  in 
it !  "  she  replied.  *  But  I  do  not  wish  to  seem  churlish  — 
or  ungrateful  for  your  care  and  kindness ;  —  will  you  tell 
the  King  —  "  Here  she  broke  off  abruptly,  and  fixed 
her  eyes  searchingly  on  his  face.  "  Strange!  "  she  mur- 
mured —  "I  seem  to  have  seen  you  before,  —  or  someone 
very  like  you  !  " 

The  Professor  was  troubled  with  a  sudden  fit  of  cough- 
ing which  made  him  very  red  in  the  face,  and  obliged  him 
to  turn  away  for  a  moment  in  order  to  recover  himself. 
Still  struggling  with  that  obstinate  catch  in  his  throat  he 
said : 

'  You  were  saying,  Madame,  that  you  wished  me  to 
tell  the  King  something  ?  " 

'  Yes  !  "  said  Lotys  eagerly  —  "  if  you  will  be  so  good ! 
Tell  him  that  I  thank  him  for  his  courtesy ;  —  but  that  I 
must  go  away  from  this  Palace,  —  that  I  cannot  —  may 
not  —  stop  in  it  an  hour  longer !  He  does  not  know  who 
it  is  that  saved  his  life,  —  if  he  did,  he  would  not  wish 
me  to  remain  a  moment  under  his  roof !  He  would  be  as 
anxious  and  willing  for  me  to  leave  as  I  am  to  go !  Will 
you  tell  him  this  ?  " 

'  Madame,  I  will  tell  him,"  replied  the  Professor  defer- 
entially, yet  with  a  slight  smile  —  "But  —  if  it  will 
satisfy  your  scruples,  or  ease  your  mind  at  all,  —  I  may 
as  well  inform  you  that  his  Majesty  does  know  who  you 
are !  The  populace  itself  declared  your  name  to  him,  with 
shouts  of  acclamation." 

She  flushed  a  vivid  red,  then  grew  very  pale. 


366  "Temporal  Power' 

'  If  that  be  so,  then  he  must  also  be  aware  that  I  am  his 
sworn  enemy !  "  she  said,  —  "  And,  that  in  accordance 
with  the  principles  I  hold,  I  cannot  possibly  remain  under 
his  roof !  Therefore  I  trust,  sir,  you  will  have  the  kind- 
ness to  provide  me  with  a  way  of  quick  exit  before  my 
presence  here  becomes  too  publicly  reported." 

The  Professor  was  slightly  nonplussed.  He  considered 
for  a  moment ;  then  rapidly  made  up  his  mind. 

'  Madame,  I  will  do  so!  "  he  said  —  "  That  is,  if  you 
will  permit  me  first  of  all  to  announce  your  intention  of 
leaving  the  Palace,  to  the  King.  Pardon  me  for  suggest- 
ing that  his  Majesty  can  hardly  regard  as  an  enemy  a  lady 
who  has  saved  his  life  at  the  risk  of  her  own." 

'  I  did  not  save  it  because  he  is  the  King,"  she  said 
curtly,  "  And  you  are  at  liberty  to  tell  him  so.  Please 
make  haste  to  inform  him  at  once  of  my  desire  to 
leave  the  Palace,  —  and  say  also,  that  if  he  considers 
he  owes  me  any  gratitude,  he  will  show  it  by  not  detain- 
ing me." 

The  Professor  bowed  and  retired.  Lotys,  left  alone, 
sat  down  for  a  moment  in  one  of  the  luxuriously  cush- 
ioned chairs,  and  pressed  her  left  hand  hard  over  her  eyes 
to  try  and  still  their  throbbing  ache.  Her  right  arm  was 
bound  up  and  useless,  —  and  the  pain  from  the  wound  in 
her  shoulder  caused  her  acute  agony,  —  but  she  had  a  will 
of  iron,  and  she  had  trained  her  mental  forces  to  control, 
if  not  entirely  to  master,  her  physical  weaknesses.  She 
thought,  not  of  her  own  suffering,  but  of  the  exciting  in- 
cident in  which  mere  impulse  had  led  her  to  take  so 
marked  a  share.  It  was  by  pure  accident  that  she  had 
joined  the  crowd  assembled  to  see  the  King  lay  the  foun- 
dation-stone of  the  proposed  new  Theatre.  She  had  been 
as  it  were,  entangled  in  the  press  of  the  people,  and  had 
got  pushed  towards  the  centre  of  the  scene  almost  against 
her  own  volition.  And  while  she  had  stood,  —  a  passive 
and  unwilling  spectator  of  the  pageant,  —  her  attention 
had  been  singularly  attracted  towards  the  uneasy  and 
restless  movements  of  the  youth  who  had  afterwards  at- 
tempted the  assassination  of  the  monarch.  She  had 
watched  him  narrowly ;  though  she  could  not  have  ex- 
plained why  she  did  so,  even  to  herself.  He  was  a  com- 
plete stranger  to  her,  and  yet,  with  her  quick  intuition, 


A  Woman's  Reason  367 

she  had  discerned  a  curious  expression  of  anxiety  and 
fear  in  his  face,  as  though  of  the  impending  horror  of  a 
crime,  —  a  look  which,  because  it  was  so  strained  and 
unnatural,  had  aroused  her  suspicion.  When  she  had 
sprung-  forward  to  shield  the  King,  only  one  idea  had 
inspired  her,  —  and  that  idea  she  would  not  now  fully 
own  even  to  herself,  because  it  was  so  entirely,  weakly 
feminine.  Nevertheless,  from  woman's  weakness  has 
often  sprung  a  hero's  strength  —  and  so  it  had  proved  in 
this  case.  She  did  not,  however,  allow  herself  to  dwell 
on  the  instinctive  impulse  which  had  thrown  her  on  the 
King's  breast,  ready  to  receive  her  own  death-blow  rather 
than  that  he  should  die ;  she  preferred  to  elude  that  ques- 
tion, and  to  consider  her  action  solely  from  the  standpoint 
of  those  Socialistic  theories  with  which  she  was  indis- 
soluble associated. 

"  Had  I  not  frustrated  the  attempt,  the  crime  would 
have  been  set  down  to  us  and  our  Brotherhood,"  she  said 
to  herself,  "  Sergius  —  or  Paul  Zouche  —  or  I  myself  — 
or  even  Pasquin  —  yes,  even  he  !  —  might,  and  doubtless 
would,  have  been  accused  of  instigating  it.  As  it  is,  I 
think  I  have  saved  the  situation."  She  rose  and  walked 
slowly  up  and  down  the  room.  "  I  wonder  who  is  behind 
the  wretched  boy  concerned  in  this  business  ?  He  is  too 
young  to  have  determined  on  such  a  deed  himself,  — 
unless  he  is  mad ;  —  he  must  be  a  tool  in  the  hands  of 
others." 

Here  spying  her  long  black  cloak  hanging  across  a 
chair,  she  took  it  up  and  threw  it  round  her,  —  her  face 
was  reflected  back  upon  her  from  a  mirror  set  in  the  wall, 
round  which  a  cluster  of  ivory  cupids  clambered,  —  and 
she  looked  critically  at  her  white  drawn  features,  and  the 
disordered  masses  of  her  hair.  Loosening  these  abundant 
locks,  she  shook  them  down  and  gathered  them  into  her 
one  uncrippled  hand,  preparatory  to  twisting  them  into 
the  usual  knot  at  the  back  of  her  head,  the  while  she  looked 
at  the  little  sculptured  amorini  set  round  the  mirror,  with 
a  compassionate  smile. 

"  Such  a  number  of  mimic  Loves  where  there  is  no  real 
love !  "  she  said  half  aloud,  —  when  the  opening  of  a  door, 
and  the  swaying  movement  of  a  curtain  pushed  aside, 
startled  her;    and  still  holding  her  rich  hair  up  in' her 


368  "Temporal  Power' 

hand  she  turned  quickly,  —  to  find  herself  face  to  face 
with,  —  the  King. 

There  was  an  instant's  dead  silence.  Dropping  the 
silken  gold  weight  of  her  tresses  to  fall  as  they  would, 
regardless  of  conventional  appearances,  she  stood  erect, 
making  all  unconsciously  to  herself,  a  picture  of  statu- 
esque and  beauteous  tragedy.  Her  plain  black  garments, 
—  the  long  cloak  enveloping  her  slight  form,  and  the  glo- 
rious tangle  of  her  unbound  hair  rippling  loosely  about 
her  pale  face,  in  which  her  eyes  shone  like  blue  flowers, 
made  luminous  by  the  sunlight  of  the  inspired  soul  behind 
them,  all  gave  her  an  almost  supernatural  air,  —  and 
made  her  seem  as  wholly  unlike  any  other  woman  as  a 
strange  leaf  from  an  unexplored  country  is  unlike  the 
foliage  common  to  one's  native  land.  The  King  looked 
steadfastly  upon  her;  she,  meeting  his  gaze  with  equal 
steadfastness,  felt  her  heart  beating  violently,  though,  as 
she  well  knew,  it  was  not  with  fear.  She  had  no  thought 
of  Court  etiquette,  —  nor  had  she  any  reason  to  consider 
it,  his  Majesty  having  himself  deliberately  trespassed 
upon  its  rules  by  visiting  her  thus  alone  and  unattended. 
She  offered  no  reverence,  —  no  salutation  ;  —  she  simply 
stood  before  him,  quite  silent,  awaiting  his  pleasure,  — 
though  in  her  eyes  there  shone  a  dangerous  brilliancy 
that  was  almost  feverish,  and  nervous  tremors  shook  her 
from  head  to  foot.  The  strange  dumb  spell  between  them 
relaxed  at  last.  With  a  kind  of  effort  which  expressed 
itself  in  the  extra  rigidity  and  pallor  of  his  fine  features, 
the  King  spoke : 

'  Madame,  I  have  come  to  thank  you !  Your  noble  act 
of  heroism  this  afternoon  has  saved  my  life.  I  do  not 
say  it  is  worth  saving !  —  but  the  Nation  appears  to 
think  it  is,  —  and  in  the  name  of  the  Nation,  whose  ser- 
vant I  am,  I  offer  you  my  personal  gratitude  —  and 
service !  " 

He  bowed  low  as  he  said  these  words  gravely  and 
courteously.  Her  eyes  still  searched  his  face  wistfully, 
with  the  eager  plaintive  expression  of  a  child  looking  for 
some  precious  treasure  it  has  lost.  She  strove  to  calm 
her  throbbing  pulses,  —  to  quiet  the  hurrying  blood  in 
her  veins,  —  to  brace  herself  up  to  her  usual  impervious 
height  of  composure  and  self-control. 


A  Woman's  Reason  369 

'  I  need  no  thanks!  "  she  answered  briefly  —  "  I  have 
only  done  my  duty !  " 

'  Nay,  Madame,  is  it  quite  consistent  with  your  duty  to 
shield  from  death  one  so  hated  by  your  disciples  and  fol- 
lowers?" he  asked,  with  a  tinge  of  melancholy  in  his 
accents  —  "You  —  as  the  famous  Lotys —  should  have 
helped  to  kill,  not  to  save!  " 

She  regarded  him  fearlessly. 

'You  mistake!"  she  said  — "  As  King,  you  should 
learn  to  know  your  subjects  better!  We"  are  not  mur- 
derers. We  do  not  seek  your  life,  —  we  seek  to  make 
you  understand  the  need  there  is  of  honesty  and  justice. 
We  live  our  lives  among  fhe  poor ;  and  we  see  those  poor 
crushed  down  into  the  dust  by  the  rich,  without  hope 
and  without  help,  —  and  we  endeavour  to  rouse  them  to 
a  sense  of  this  Wrong,  so  that  they  may,  by  persistence, 
obtain  Right.  We  do  not  want  the  death  of  any  man! 
Even  to  a  traitor  we  give  warning  and  time,  ere  we  punish 
his  treachery.  The  unhappy  wretch  who  attempted  your 
life  to-day  was  not  of  our  party,  or  our  teaching,  thank 
God!" 

'  I  am  sure  of  that !  "'  he  said  very  gently,  his  face 
brightening  with  a  kind  smile,  —  then,  seeing  her  swerve, 
as  though  about  to  fall,  he  caught  her  on  one  arm  — 
'  You  are  faint !  You  must  not  stand  too  long.  I  fear 
you  are  suffering  from  the  pain  of  that  cruel  wound  in- 
flicted on  you  for  my  sake!  " 

"  A  little  —  "  she  managed  to  say,  with  white  lips  — 
"  But  it  is  nothing  —  it  will  soon  pass " 

She  sank  helplessly  into  the  chair  he  placed  for  her,  and 
mutely  watched  him  as  he  walked  to  the  window  and 
threw  it  open,  admitting  the  sweet,  fresh,  sea-scented 
air,  and  a  flood  of  crimson  radiance  from  the  setting 
sun. 

'  I  am  informed  that  you  wish  to  quit  the  Palace  at 
once,"  he  said,  averting  his  gaze  from  hers  for  a  moment ; ' 
— "Need  I  say  how  much  I  regret  this  decision  of  yours? 
Both  I  and  the  Queen  had  hoped  you  would  have  re- 
mained with  us,  under  the  care  of  our  own  physician,  till 
you  were  quite  recovered.  But  I  owe  you  too  great  a 
debt  already  to  make  any  further  claim  upon  you  —  and 
I  will  not  command  you  to  stay,  if  you  desire  to  go." 

24 


370  "Temporal  Power' 

She  lifted  her  head ;  —  the  faint  colour  was  returning 
to  her  cheeks. 

"  I  thank  you !  "  she  said  simply ;  —  "I  do  indeed  de- 
sire to  go.  Every  moment  spent  here  is  a  moment 
wasted !  " 

"You  think  so?"  —  and,  turning  from  the  window 
where  he  stood,  he  confronted  her  again;  —  "May  I  ven- 
ture to  suggest  that  you  hardly  do  justice  to  me,  or  to  the 
situation?  You  have  placed  me  under  very  great  obli- 
gations —  surely  you  should  endure  my  company  long 
enough  to  tell  me  at  least  how  I  can  in  some  measure 
show  my  personal  recognition  of  your  brave  and  self- 
sacrificing  action !  " 

She  looked  at  him  in  musing  silence.  A  strange  glow 
came  into  her  eyes, — a  deeper  crimson  flushed  her  cheek. 

'  You  can  do  nothing  for  me !  "  she  said,  after  a  long 
pause,  "  You  are  a  King  —  I,  a  poor  commoner.  I  would 
not  be  indebted  to  you  for  all  the  world !  I  am  prouder  of 
my  '  common '  estate  than  you  are  of  your  royalty !  What 
are  '  royal  '  rewards  ?  Jewels,  money,  place,  title !  All 
valueless  to  me!  If  you  would  serve  anyone,  serve  the 
People ;  —  do  something  to  deserve  their  trust !  If  you 
would  show  me  any  personal  recognition,  as  you  say,  for 
saving  your  life,  make  that  life  more  noble ! '' 

He  heard  her  without  offence,  holding  himself  mute 
and  motionless.  She  rose  from  her  seat,  and  approached 
him  more  closely. 

'  Perhaps,  after  all,  it  is  well  that  I  was,  —  uncon- 
sciously and  against  my  own  volition,  —  brought  here," 
she  said ;  '  Perhaps  it  is  God's  will  that  I  should  speak 
with  you !  For,  as  a  rule  none  of  your  unknown  subjects 
can,  or  may  speak  with  you !  —  you  are  so  much  hemmed 
in  and  ringed  round  with  slaves  and  parasites !  In  so 
far  as  this  goes,  you  are  to  be  pitied ;  though  it  rests  with 
you  to  shake  yourself  free  from  the  toils  of  vulgar  adula- 
tion. Your  flatterers  tell  you  nothing.  They  are  careful 
to  keep  you  shut  out  of  your  own  kingdom  —  to  hide 
from  you  things  that  are  true,  —  things  that  you  ought  to 
know ;  they  fool  you  with  false  assurances  of  national 
tranquillity  and  content, — they  persuade  you  to  play,  like 
an  over-grown  child,  with  the  toys  of  luxury,  —  they  lead 
you,  a  mere  puppet,  round  and  round  in  the  clockwork 


A  Woman's  Reason  371 

'routine  of  a  foolish  and  licentious  society,  —  when  you 
might  be  a  Man !  —  up  and  doing  man's  work  that  should 
help  you  to  regenerate  and  revivify  the  whole  country  ! 
I  speak  boldly  —  yes  !  —  because  I  do  not  fear  you  !  —  be- 
cause 1  have  no  favours  to  gain  from  you,  —  because  to 
me,  —  Lotys,  —  you,  —  the    King  —  are    nothing !  " 

Her  voice,  perfectly  tranquil,  even,  and  coldly  sweet, 
had  not  a  single  vibration  of  uncertainty  or  hesitation  in 
it  —  and  her  words  seemed  to  cut  through  the  stillness  of 
the  room  with  clean  incisiveness  like  the  sweep  of  a 
sword-blade.  Outside,  the  sea  murmured  and  the  leaves 
rustled,  —  the  sun  had  sunk,  leaving  behind  it  a  bright, 
pearly  twilight  sky,  flecked  with  pink  clouds  like  scattered 
rose-petals. 

He  looked  straight  at  her,  —  his  clear  dark  grey  eyes 
were  filled  with  the  glowing  fire  of  strongly  suppressed 
feeling.  Some  hasty  ejaculation  sprang  to  his  lips,  but 
he  checked  it,  and  pacing  once  or  twice  up  and  down,  sud- 
denly wheeled  round,  and  again  confronted  her. 

'  If,  as  a  king,  I  fall  so  far  short  of  kingliness,  and  am 
nothing  to  you,"  —  he  said  deliberately;  '  Why  did  you 
shield  me  from  the  assassin's  dagger  a  while  ago?  Why 
not  have  let  me  perish?  " 

She  shook  back  her  gold  hair,  and  regarded  him  almost 
defiantly. 

'  I  did  not  save  you  because  you  are  the  King!  "  she 
replied  —  "Be  assured  of  that !  " 

He  was  vaguely  astonished. 

"  Merely  a  humane  sentiment  then?  "  he  said  —  "  Just 
as  you  would  have  saved  a  dog;  from  drowning:!  ' 

A  little  smile  crept  reluctantly  round  the  corners  of  her 
mouth. 

"  There  was  another  reason,"  she  began  in  a  low  tone, 
—  then  paused  —  "But  —  only  a  woman's  reason!' 

Something  in  her  changing  colour,  —  some  delicate  in- 
definable touch  of  tenderness  and  pathos,  which  softened 
her  features  and  made  them  almost  ethereal,  sent  a  curi- 
ous thrill  through  his  blood. 

:<  A  woman's  reason !  "  he  echoed ;  "  May  I  not  hear 
it?" 

Again  she  hesitated,  —  then,  as  if  despising  herself  for 
her  own  irresolution  she  spoke  out  bravely. 


37  2  "Temporal  Power' 

'  You  may !  "  —  she  said  —  "  There  is  nothing  to  con- 
ceal —  nothing  of  which  I  am  ashamed !  Besides,  it  is 
the  true  motive  of  the  action  which  you  are  pleased  to  call 
'  heroic'  I  saved  your  life  simply  because  —  because  you 
resemble  in  form  and  feature,  in  look  and  manner,  the 
only  man  I  love !  " 

A  curious  silence  followed  her  words.  The  faint  far 
whispering  of  the  leaves  on  the  trees  outside  seemed  al- 
most intrusively  loud  in  such  a  stillness,  —  the  placid 
murmur  of  the  sea  against  the  cliff  below  the  Palace  be- 
came well-nigh  suggestive  of  storm.  Lotys  was  suddenly 
conscious  of  an  odd  strained  sense  of  terror,  —  she  had 
spoken  as  freely  and  frankly  as  she  would  have  spoken  to 
any  one  of  her  own  associates,  —  and  yet  she  felt  that 
somehow  she  had  been  over-impulsive,  and  that  in  a 
thoughtless  moment  she  had  let  slip  some  secret  which 
placed  her,  weak  and  helpless,  in  the  King's  power.  The 
King  himself  stood  immovable  as  a  figure  of  bronze,  — 
his  eyes  resting  upon  her  with  a  deep  insistence  of  pur- 
pose, as  though  he  sought  to  wrest  some  further  con- 
fession from  her  soul.  The  tension  between  them  was 
painful,  —  almost  intolerable, — and  though  it  lasted  but  a 
minute,  that  minute  seemed  weighted  with  the  potentiali- 
ties of  years.  Forcing  herself  to  break  the  dumb  spell, 
Lotys  went  on  hurriedly  and  half  desperately :  — 

'  You  may  smile  at  this,"  she  said  —  "  Men  always  jest 
with  a  woman's  heart,  —  a  woman's  folly !  But  folly  or 
no,  I  will  not  have  you  draw  any  false  conclusions  con- 
cerning me,  —  or  flatter  yourself  that  it  was  loyalty  to 
you,  or  honour  for  your  position  that  made  me  your  liv- 
ing shield  to-day.  No !  —  for  if  you  were  not  the  exact 
counterpart  of  him  who  is  dearer  to  me  than  all  the  world 
beside,  I  think  I  should  have  let  you  die !  I  think  so  —  I 
do  not  know !  Because,  after  all,  you  are  not  like  him  in 
mind  or  heart ;  it  is  only  your  outward  bearing,  your 
physical  features  that  resemble  his !  But,  even  so,  I  could 
not  have  looked  idly  on,  and  seen  his  merest  Resemblance 
slain !  Now  you  understand !  It  is  not  for  you,  as  King, 
that  I  have  turned  aside  a  murderer's  weapon,  —  but 
solely  because  you  have  the  face,  the  eyes,  the  smile  of 
one  who  is  a  thousand  times  greater  and  nobler  than  you, 
—  who,  though  poor  and  uncrowned,  is  a  true  king  in  the 


A  Woman's  Reason  373 

grace  and  thought  and  goodness  of  his  actions,  —  who, 
all  unlike  you,  personally  attends  to  the  wants  of  the  poor, 
instead  of  neglecting  them,  —  and  who  recognises,  and 
does  his  best  to  remedy,  the  many  wrongs  which  afflict 
the  people  of  this  land !  " 

Her  sweet  voice  thrilled  with  passion,  —  her  cheeks 
glowed,  —  unconsciously  she  stretched  out  her  unin- 
jured hand  with  an  eloquent  gesture  of  pride  and  con- 
viction. The  King's  figure,  till  now  rigid  and  motionless, 
stirred  ;  —  advancing  a  step,  he  took  that  hand  before  she 
could  withhold  it,  and  raised  it  to  his  lips. 

"  Madame,  I  am  twice  honoured !  "  he  said,  in  accents 
that  shook  ever  so  slightly  —  "To  resemble  a  good  man 
even  outwardly  is  something,  —  to  wear  in  any  degree 
the  lineaments  of  one  whom  a  brave  and  true  woman 
honours  by  her  love  is  still  more !  You  have  made  me 
very  much  your  debtor  "  —  here  he  gently  relinquished 
the  hand  he  had  kissed  —  "  but  believe  me,  I  shall  en- 
deavour most  faithfully  to  meet  the  claim  you  have  upon 
my  gratitude !  "  Here  he  paused,  and  drawing  back, 
bowed  courteously.  '  The  way  for  your  departure  is 
clear,"  he  continued ;  —  "I  have  ordered  a  carriage  to  be 
in  waiting  at  one  of  the  private  entrances  to  the  Palace. 
Professor  von  Glauben,  my  physician,  who  has  just  at- 
tended you,  will  escort  you  to  it.  You  will  pass  out  quite 
unnoticed,  —  and  be,  —  as  you  desire  it  —  again  at  full 
liberty.  Let  the  memory  of  the  King  whose  life  you  saved 
trouble  you  no  more,  —  except  when  you  look  upon  his 
better  counterpart!  —  as  then,  perchance,  you  may  think 
more  kindly  of  him  !  For  he  has  to  suffer ! — not  so  much 
for  his  own  faults,  as  for  the  faults  of  a  system  formu- 
lated by  his  ancestors." 

Her  intense  eyes  glowed  with  a  fire  of  enthusiasm  as 
she  lifted  them  to  his  face. 

'  Kingship  would  be  a  grand  system,"  she  said,  "  if 
kings  were  true !  And  Autocracy  would  be  the  best  and 
noblest  form  of  government  in  the  world,  if  autocrats 
could  be  found  who  were  intellectual  and  honest  at  one 
and  the  same  time !  " 

He  looked  at  her  observantly. 

"  You  think  they  are  neither?  " 

"  /  think  ?     '  I  '  am  nothing,  —  my  opinions  count  for 


374  "Temporal  Power' 

nothing !  But  History  gives  evidence,  and  supplies  proof 
of  their  incompetency.  A  great  king,  —  good  as  well  as 
great,  —  would  be  the  salvation  of  this  present  time  of  the 
world!" 

Still  he  kept  his  eyes  upon  her. 

"Go  on!"  —  he  said  —  "There  is  something  in  your 
mind  which  you  would  fain  express  to  me  more  openly. 
You  have  eloquent  features,  Madame !  —  and  your  looks 
are  the  candid  mirror  of  your  thoughts.  Speak,  I  beg  of 
you !  " 

The  light  of  a  daring  inward  hope  flashed  in  her  face 
and  inspired  her  very  attitude,  as  she  stood  before  him, 
entirely  regardless  of  herself. 

"  Then,  —  since  you  give  me  leave,  —  I  will  speak !  " 
she  said ;  '  For  perhaps  I  shall  never  see  you  again  — 
never  have  the  chance  to  ask  you,  as  a  Man  whom  the 
mere  accident  of  birth  has  made  a  king,  to  have  more 
thought,  more  pity,  more  love  for  your  subjects!  Surely 
you  should  be  their  guardian  —  their  father  —  their  pro- 
tector? Surely  you  should  not  leave  them  to  become  the 
prey  of  unscrupulous  financiers  or  intriguing  Church- 
men ?  Some  say  you  are  yourself  involved  in  the  cruel 
schemes  which  are  slowly  but  steadily  robbing  this  coun- 
try's people  of  their  Trades,  the  lawful  means  of  their 
subsistence ;  and  that  you  approve,  in  the  main,  of  the 
private  contracts  which  place  our  chief  manufactures  and 
lines  of  traffic  in  the  hands  of  foreign  rivals.  But  I  do 
not  believe  this.  We  —  and  by  we,  I  mean  the  Revolu- 
tionary party  —  try  hard  not  to  believe  this  !  I  admit  to 
you,  as  faithfully  as  if  I  stood  on  my  trial  before  you,  that 
much  of  the  work  to  which  we,  as  a  party  have  pledged 
ourselves,  consists  in  moving  the  destruction  of  the  Mon- 
archy, and  the  formation  of  a  Republic.  But  why  ?  Only 
because  the  Monarchy  has  proved  itself  indifferent  to  the 
needs  of  the  people,  and  deaf  to  their  protestations  against 
injustice!  Thus  we  have  conceived  it  likely  that  a  Re- 
public might  help  to  mend  matters,  —  if  it  were  in  power 
for  at  least  some  twenty  or  thirty  years,  —  but  at  the  same 
time  we  know  well  enough  that  if  a  King  ruled  over  us 
who  was  indeed  a  King,  —  who  would  refuse  to  be  the 
tool  of  party  speculators,  and  who  could  not  be  moved 
this   way  or  that   by  the   tyrants   of  finance,   the  people 


A  Woman's  Reason  375 

would  have  far  more  chance  of  equality  and  right  under  a 
Republic  even!  Only  we  cannot  find  that  king! --no 
country  can !  You,  for  instance,  are  no  hero !  You  will 
not  think  for  yourself,  though  you  might;  you  only  in- 
terest yourself  in  affairs  that  may  redound  to  your  per- 
sonal and  private  credit ;  or  in  those  which  affect  '  society,' 
the  most  dissolute  portion  of  the  community,  —  and  you 
have  shown  so  little  individuality  in  yourself  or  your  ac- 
tions, that  your  unexpected  refusal  to  grant  Crown  lands 
to  the  Jesuits  was  scarcely  believed  in  or  accepted,  other- 
wise than  as  a  caprice,  till  your  own  '  official  '  announce- 
ment. Even  now  we  can  scarcely  be  brought  to  look  upon 
it  except  as  an  impulse  inspired  by  fear!  Herein,  we  do 
you,  no  doubt,  a  grave  injustice;  I,  for  one,  honestly  be- 
lieve that  you  have  refused  these  lands  to  the  Priest- 
Politicians,  out  of  earnest  consideration  for  the  future 
peace  and  welfare  of  your  subjects." 

"  Nay,  why  believe  even  thus  much  of  me?  "  he  inter- 
rupted with  a  grave  smile ;  '  May  you  not  be  misled  by 
that  Resemblance  I  bear,  to  one  who  is,  in  your  eyes,  so 
much  my  superior?  " 

A  faint  expression  of  offence  darkened  her  face,  and 
her  brows  contracted. 

"  You  are  pleased  to  jest !  "  she  said  coldly ;  "  As  I  said 
before,  it  is  man's  only  way  of  turning  aside,  or  conclud- 
ing all  argument  with  a  woman  !  I  am  mistaken  perhaps 
in  the  instinct  which  has  led  me  to  speak  to  you  as  openly 
as  I  have  done,  —  and  yet,  —  1  know  in  my  heart  I  can  do 
you  no  harm  by  telling  you  the  truth,  as  others  would 
never  tell  it  to  you !  Many  times  within  this  last  two 
months  the  people  have  sent  in  petitions  to  you  against 
the  heavy  taxes  with  which  your  Government  is  afflicting 
them,  and  they  can  get  no  answer  to  their  desperate  ap- 
peals. Is  it  kingly  —  is  it  worthy  of  your  post  as  Head 
of  this  realm,  to  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  the  cries  of  those  whose 
hard-earned  money  keeps  you  on  the  Throne,  housed  in 
luxury,  guarded  from  every  possible  evil,  and  happily 
ignorant  of  the  pangs  of  want  and  hunger?  How  can 
you,  if  you  have  a  heart,  permit  such  an  iniquitous  act  on 
the  part  of  your  Government  as  the  setting  of  a  tax  on 
bread  ?  —  the  all  in  all  of  life  to  the  very  poor !  Have  you 
ever   seen   young   children   crying   for  bread  ?     I   have ! 


376 


a 


Temporal  Power 


•>  •> 


Have  you  ever  seen  strong  men  reduced  to  the  shame  of 
stealing  bread,  to  feed  their  wives  and  infants  ?  I  have ! 
I  think  of  it  as  I  stand  here,  surrounded  by  the  luxury 
which  is  your  daily  lot,  —  and  knowing  what  I  know,  I 
would  strip  these  satin-draped  walls,  and  sell  everything 
of  value  around  me  if  I  possessed  it,  rather  than  know 
that  one  woman  or  child  starved  within  the  city's  pre- 
cincts !  Your  Ministers  tell  you  there  is  a  deficiency  in 
the  Exchequer,  —  but  you  do  not  ask  why,  or  how  the 
deficiency  arose !  You  do  not  ask  whether  Ministers 
themselves  have  not  been  trafficking  and  speculating  with 
the  country's,  money !  For  if  deficiency  there  be,  it  has 
arisen  out  of  the  Government's  mismanagement !  The 
Government  have  had  the  people's  money,  —  and  have 
thrown  it  recklessly  away.  Therefore,  they  have  no  right 
to  ask  for  more,  to  supply  what  they  themselves  have  wil- 
fully wasted.  No  right,  I  say  !  —  no  right  to  rob  them  of 
another  coin !  If  I  were  a  man,  and  a  king  like  you,  I 
would  voluntarily  resign  more  than  half  my  annual  kingly 
income  to  help  that  deficit  in  the  National  Exchequer  till 
it  had  been  replaced  ;  —  I  would  live  poor,  —  and  be  con- 
tent to  know  that  by  my  act  I  had  won  far  more  than 
many  millions — a  deathless,  and  beloved  name  of  honour 
with  my  people !  " 

She  paused.  He  said  not  a  word.  Suddenly  she  be- 
came conscious  that  her  hair  was  unbound  and  falling 
loosely  about  her ;  she  had  almost  forgotten  this  till  now. 
A  wave  of  colour  swept  over  her  face,  —  but  she  mas- 
tered her  embarrassment,  and  gathering  the  long  tresses 
together  in  her  left  hand,  twisted  them  up  slowly,  and 
with  an  evident  painful  effort.  The  King  watched  her,  a 
little  smile  hovering  about  his  mouth. 

"  If  I  might  help  you!  "  he  said  softly  —  "but  —  that 
is  a  task  for  my  Resemblance !  " 

She  appeared  not  to  hear  him.  A  sudden  determina- 
tion moved  her,  and  she  uttered  her  thought  boldly  and 
at  all  hazards. 

"  If  you  do  not,  as  the  public  report,  approve  of  the 
financial  schemes  out  of  which  your  Ministers  make  their 
fortunes,  to  the  utter  ruin  of  the  people  in  general,"  she 
said  slowly ;  "  Dismiss  Carl  Perousse  from  office !  So 
may  you  perchance  avert  a  great  national  disaster ! ': 


A  Woman's  Reason         377 

He  permitted  himself  to  smile  indulgently. 

'  Madame,  you  may  ask  much !  —  and  however  great 
your  demands,  I  will  do  my  utmost  to  meet  and  comply 
with  them ;  —  but  like  all  your  charming  sex,  you  forget 
that  a  king  can  seldom  or  never  interfere  with  a  political 
situation !  It  would  be  very  unwise  policy  on  my  part  to 
dismiss  M.  Perousse,  seeing  that  he  is  already  nominated 
as  the  next  Premier." 

'  The  next  Premier !  "  Lotys  echoed  the  words  with  a 
passionate  scorn  ;  'If  that  is  so,  I  give  you  an  honest 
warning !  The  people  will  revolt,  —  no  force  can  hold 
them  back  or  keep  them  in  check !  And  if  you  should 
command  your  soldiery  to  fire  on  the  populace,  there  must 
be  bloodshed  and  crime !  —  on  your  head  be  the  result ! 
Oh,  are  you  not,  can  you  not  be  something  higher  than 
even  a  king  ?  —  an  honest  man  ?  Will  you  not  open  the 
eyes  of  your  mind  to  see  the  wickedness,  falsehood  and 
treachery  of  this  vile  Minister,  who  ministers  only  to 
his  own  ends  ?  —  who  feigns  incorruptibility  in  order  to 
more  easily  corrupt  others  ?  —  who  assumes  the  defence 
of  outlying  states,  merely  to  hide  the  depredations  he  is 
making  on  home  power?  Nay,  if  you  will  not,  you  are 
not  worth  a  beggar's  blessing !  —  and  I  shall  wonder  to 
myself  why  God  made  of  you  so  exact  a  copy  of  one 
whom  I  know  to  be  a  good  man !  " 

Her  breath  came  and  went  quickly,  —  her  cheeks  were 
flushed,  and  great  tears  stood  in  her  eyes.  But  he  seemed 
altogether  unmoved. 

'  F  faith,  I  shall  wonder  too !  "  he  said  very  tranquilly ; 
"  Good  men  are  scarce !  —  and  to  be  the  copy  of  one  is 
excellent,  though  it  may  in  some  cases  be  misleading! 
Madame,  I  have  heard  you  with  patience,  and  —  if  you 
will  permit  me  to  say  so  —  admiration  !  I  honour  your 
courage — your  frankness — and — still  more — your  ab- 
solute independence.  You  speak  of  wrongs  to  the  People. 
If  such  wrongs  indeed  exist " 

'  If !  "  interrupted  Lotys  with  a  whole  world  of  mean- 
ing in  the  expression. 

'  I  say,  if  they  indeed  exist,  I  will,  as  far  as  I  may,  — 
endeavour  to  remedy  them.  I,  personally,  have  no  hesi- 
tation in  declaring  to  you  that  I  am  not  involved  in  the 
financial  schemes  to  which  you  allude  —  though  I  know 


3 7 S  "Temporal  Power' 

two  or  three  of  my  fellow-sovereigns  who  are !  But  I  do 
not  care  sufficiently  for  money  to  indulge  in  speculation. 
Nevertheless,  let  me  tell  you,  speculation  is  good,  and 
even  necessary  in  matters  affecting  national  finance,  and 

I  am  confident "  here  he  smiled  enigmatically,  "  that 

the  country's  honour  is  safe  in  the  hands  of  M.  Perousse !" 

At  this  she  lifted  her  head  proudly  and  looked  at  him, 
with  eyes  that  expressed  so  magnificent  a  disdain,  that 
had  he  been  any  other  than  the  man  he  was.  he  might 
have  quailed  beneath  the  lightning  flash  of  such  utter 
contempt. 

"  You  are  confident  that  the  country's  honour  is  safe!  " 
she  repeated  bitterly ;  "  I  am  confident  that  it  is  betrayed 
and  shamed !  And  History  will  set  a  curse  against  the 
King  who  helped  in  its  downfall !  " 

He  regarded  her  with  a  vague,  lingering  gentleness. 

"  You  are  harsh,  Madame!  "  he  said  softly;  "  But  you 
could  not  offend  me  if  you  tried !  I  quarrel  with  none  of 
your  sex !  And  you  will,  I  hope,  think  better  of  me  some 
day,  —  and  not  be  sorry  —  as  perhaps  you  are  now  —  for 
having  saved  a  life  so  worthless !     Farewell !  '' 

She  offered  no  response.  The  silken  portiere  rustled 
and  swayed,  —  the  door  opened  and  shut  again  quietly 
—  he  was  gone.  Left  alone,  Lotys  dropped  wearily  on 
the  sofa,  and  burying  her  head  in  the  soft  cushions,  gave 
way  to  an  outburst  of  tears  and  sobbed  like  a  tired  and 
exhausted  child.  In  this  condition  Professor  von  Glauben, 
entering  presently,  found  her.  But  his  sympathy,  if  he 
felt  any.  was  outwardly  very  chill  and  formal.  Another 
dose  of  his  '  cordial,'  —  a  careful  examination  and  re- 
strapping  of  the  wounded  shoulder.  —  these  summed  up 
the  whole  of  his  consolation  ;  and  his  precise  cold  manner 
did  much  to  restore  her  to  her  self-possession.  She 
thanked  him  in  a  few  words  for  his  professional  attention, 
without  raising  her  eyes  to  his  face,  and  quietly  followed 
him  down  a  long  narrow  passage  which  terminated  in  a 
small  private  door  giving  egress  to  the  Royal  pleasure- 
grounds,  —  and  here  a  hired  close  carriage  was  waiting. 
Putting  her  carefully  into  this  vehicle,  the  Professor  then 
delivered  himself  of  his  last  instructions. 

"The  driver  has  no  orders  beyond  the  citadel,  Madame." 
he  explained.     "  His  Majesty  begged  me  to  say  that  he 


A  Woman's  Reason  379 

has  no  desire  to  seem  inquisitive  as  to  your  place  of  resi- 
dence. You  will  therefore  please  inform  the  coachman 
yourself  as  to  where  you  wish  to  be  driven.  And  take 
care  of  that  so-much-wounded  shoulder !  ,:  he  added, 
relapsing  into  a  kinder  and  less  formal  tone ;  —  "It  will 
pain  you,  —  but  there  will  be  no  inflammation,  not  now  I 
have  treated  it !  —  and  it  will  heal  quickly,  that  I  will 
guarantee  —  I,  who  have  had  first  care  of  it!" 

She  thanked  him  again  in  a  low  voice,  —  there  was  an 
uncomfortable  lump  in  her  throat,  and  tears  still  trembled 
on  her  lashes. 

"  Remember  well,"  said  the  Professor  cheerily ;  "  how 
very  grateful  we  are  to  you !  What  we  shall  do  for  you 
some  day,  we  do  not  yet  know !  A  monument  in  the  pub- 
lic square,  or  a  bust  in  the  Cathedral  ?  Ha,  ha !  Good- 
bye!    You  have  the  blessing  of  the  nation  with  you!  " 

She  shook  her  head  deprecatingly,  —  she  tried  to  smile, 
but  she  could  not  trust  herself  to  speak.  The  carriage 
rolled  swiftly  down  the  broad  avenue  and  soon  disap- 
peared, and  the  Professor,  having  watched  the  last  flash 
of  its  wheels  vanish  between  the  arching  trees,  executed 
a  slow  and  somewhat  solemn  pas-seul  on  the  doorstep 
where  it  had  left  him. 

"  Ach  so !  "  he  exclaimed,  almost  audibly ;  '"  The  King's 
Comedy  progresses !  But  it  had  nearly  taken  the  form 
of  Tragedy  to-day  —  and  now  Tragedy  itself  has  melted 
into  sentiment,  and  tears,  and  passion !  And  with  this 
very  difficult  kind  of  human  mixture,  the  worst  may 
happen !  " 

He  re-entered  the  Palace  and  returned  with  some  haste 
to  the  apartments  of  the  King,  whither  he  had  been  bidden. 

But  on  arriving  there  he  was  met  by  an  attendant  in 
the  ante-room  who  informed  him  that  his  Majesty  had 
retired  to  his  private  library  and  desired  to  be  left  alone. 


CHAPTER    XXV 

"l    SAY  — 'ROME'!" 

THE  State  prison  was  a  gloomy  fortress  built  on  a 
wedge  of  rock  that  jutted  far  out  into  the  ocean. 
It  stood  full-fronted  to  the  north,  and  had  opposed  its 
massive  walls  and  huge  battlements  to  every  sort  of 
storm  for  many  centuries.  It  was  a  relic  of  mediaeval 
days,  when  torture  no  less  than  death,  was  the  daily 
practice  of  the  law,  and  when  persons  were  punished  as 
cruelly  for  light  offences  as  for  the  greatest  crimes.  It 
was  completely  honeycombed  with  dungeons  and  subter- 
ranean passages,  which  led  to  the  sea,  —  and  in  one  of 
the  darkest  and  deepest  of  these  underground  cells,  the 
wretched  youth  who  had  attempted  the  life  of  the  King, 
was  placed  under  the  charge  of  two  armed  warders,  who 
marched  up  and  down  outside  the  heavily-barred  door, 
keeping  close  watch  and  guard.  Neither  they  nor  anyone 
else  had  exchanged  a  word  with  the  prisoner  since  his 
arrest.  He  had  given  them  no  trouble.  He  had  been 
carefully  searched,  but  nothing  of  an  incriminating  nature 
had  been  found  upon  him,  —  nothing  to  point  to  any  pos- 
sible instigator  of  his  dastard  crime.  He  had  entered  the 
dungeon  allotted  to  him  with  almost  a  cheerful  air,  —  he 
had  muttered  half-inaudible  thanks  for  the  bread  and 
water  which  had  been  passed  to  him  through  the  grating ; 
and  he  had  seated  himself  upon  the  cold  bench,  hewn  out 
of  the  stone  wall,  with  a  resignation  that  might  have 
easily  passed  for  pleasure.  As  the  time  wore  on,  however, 
and  the  reality  of  his  position  began  to  press  more  con- 
sciously upon  his  senses,  the  warders  heard  him  sigh 
deeply,  and  move  restlessly,  and  once  he  gave  a  cry  like 
that  of  a  wounded  animal,  exclaiming :  — 

'  For  Thy  sake,  Lord  Christ !  For  Thy  sake  I  strove 
—  for  Thy  sake,  and  in  Thy  service!  Thou  wilt  not 
leave  me  here  to  perish !  " 


"I  Say— 'Rome'!"  381 

He  had  been  brought  to  the  prison  immediately  after 
his  murderous  attack,  and  the  time  had  then  been  about 
four  hi  the  afternoon.  It  was  now  night ;  and  all  over 
the  city  the  joy-bells  were  clashing  out  music  from  the 
Cathedral  towers,  to  express  the  popular  thanksgiving  for 
the  miraculous  escape  and  safety  of  the  King.  The  echo 
of  the  chimes  which  had  been  ringing  ever  since  sunset, 
was  caught  by  the  sea  and  thrown  back  again  upon  the 
air,  so  that  it  partially  drowned  the  melancholy  clang  of 
the  prison  bell,  which  in  its  turn,  tolled  forth  the  dreary 
passing  of  the  time  for  those  to  whom  liberty  had  be- 
come the  merest  shadow  of  a  dream.  As  it  struck  nine, 
a  priest  presented  himself  to  the  Superintendent  of  the 
prison,  bearing  a  '  permit  '  from  General  Bernhoff,  Head 
of  the  Police,  to  visit  and  '  confess  '  the  prisoner.  He 
was  led  to  the  cell  and  admitted  at  once.  At  the  noise 
of  a  stranger's  entrance,  the  criminal  raised  himself  from 
the  sunken  attitude  into  which  he  had  fallen  on  his  stone 
bench,  and  watched,  by  the  light  of  the  dim  lamp  set  in 
the  wall,  the  approach  of  his  tall,  gaunt,  black-garmented 
visitor  with  evident  horror  and  fear.  When,  —  with  the 
removal  of  the  shovel  hat  and  thick  muffler  which  had 
helped  to  disguise  that  visitor's  personality, — the  features 
of  Monsignor  Del  Fortis  were  disclosed,  he  sprang  for- 
ward and  threw  himself  on  his  knees. 

"  Mercy!  —  Mercy!  "  he  moaned — "  Have  pity  on  me, 
in  the  name  of  God !  " 

Del  Fortis  looked  down  upon  him  with  contempt,  as 
though  he  were  some  loathsome  reptile  writhing  at  his  feet. 

"  Silence !  "  he  said,  in  a  harsh  whisper  —  "  Remember, 
we  are  watched  here !  Get  up !  —  why  do  you  kneel  to 
me?  I  have  nothing  to  do  with  you,  beyond  such  office 
as  the  Church  enjoins !  '  And  a  cold  smile  darkened, 
rather  than  lightened  his  features.  "  I  am  sent  to  admin- 
ister  '  spiritual  consolation  '  to  you ! " 

Slowly  the  prisoner  struggled  up  to  a  standing  posture, 
and  pressing  both  hands  to  his  head,  he  stared  wildly 
before  him. 

'"Spiritual  consolation'!"  he  muttered — "'Spiritual'?" 
A  faint  dull  vacuous  smile  flickered  over  his  face,  and  he 
shuddered.  "  I  understand !  You  come  to  prepare  my 
soul  for  Heaven  !  " 


382  "Temporal  Power" 

Del  Fortis  gave  him  a  sinister  look. 
'That    depends    on    yourself!''    he    replied    curtly  — 
"  The  Church  can  speed  you  either  way,  —  to  Heaven, 
or  —  Hell !  " 

The  prisoner's  hands  clenched  involuntarily  with  a 
gesture  of  despair. 

"  I  know  that!  "  he  said  sullenly  —  "  The  Church  can 
save  or  kill !  What  of  it  ?  I  am  now  beyond  even  the 
power  of  the  Church  !  " 

Del  Fortis  seated  himself  on  the  stone  bench. 

"Come  here!"  he  said  —  "  Sit  down  beside  me!" 

The  prisoner  obeyed. 

'  Look  at  this !  "  —  and  he  drew  an  ebony  and  silver 
crucifix  from  his  breast  —  "  Fix  your  eyes  upon  it,  and 
try,  my  son,"  —  here  he  raised  his  voice  a  little  —  "try 
to  conquer  your  thoughts  of  things  temporal,  and  lift 
them  to  the  things  which  are  eternal !  For  things  tem- 
poral do  quickly  vanish  and  disperse,  but  things  eternal 
shall  endure  for  ever !  Humble  your  soul  before  God, 
and  beseech  Him  with  me,  to  mercifully  cleanse  the  dark 
stain  of  sin  upon  your  soul!  "  Here  he  began  mumbling 
a  Latin  prayer,  and  while  engaged  in  this,  he  caught  the 
prisoner's  hand  in  a  close  grip.  "  Act  —  act  with  me  !  ': 
he  said  firmly.  '  Fool !  —  Play  a  part,  as  I  do !  Bend 
your  head  close  to  mine  —  assume  shame  and  sorrow 
even  if  you  cannot  feel  it !  And  listen  to  me  well !  Yon 
have  failed!  " 

"  I  know  it !  " 

The  reply  came  thick  and  low. 

"Why  did  you  make  the  attempt  at  all?  Who  per- 
suaded you  ?  " 

The  wretched  youth  lifted  his  head,  and  showed  a  wild 
white  face,  in  which  the  piteous  eyes,  starting  from  their 
sockets,  looked  blind  with  terror. 

"Who  persuaded  me?"  he  replied  mechanically  — 
"  No  one !     No  single  one,  —  but  many !  " 

Del  Fortis  gripped  him  firmly  by  the  wrist. 

'  You  lie !  "  he  snarled  —  "  How  dare  you  utter  such 
a  calumny !  Who  were  you  ?  What  were  you  ?  A  mis- 
erable starveling  —  picked  up  from  the  streets  and  saved 
from  penury,  ■ —  housed  and  sheltered  in  our  College,  — 
taught  and  trained  and  given  paid  employment  by  us,  — 


«I  Say— 'Rome'!"        383 

what  have  you  to  say  of  '  persuasion  '  ?  —  yon,  who  owe 
your  very  life  to  us,  and  to  our  charity !  " 

Roused  by  this  attack,  the  prisoner,  wrenching  his  hand 
away  from  the  priest's  cruel  grasp,  sprang  upright. 

"  Wait  —  wait!  "  he  said  breathlessly  —  "  You  do  not 
understand!  You  forget!  All  my  life  I  have  been  under 
One  great  influence  —  all  my  life  I  have  been  taught  to 
dream  One  great  Dream!  When  I  talk  of  'persuasion,' 
I  only  mean  the  persuasion  of  that  force  which  has  sur- 
rounded me  as  closely  as  the  air  I  breathe !  —  that  spirit 
which  is  bound  to  enter  into  all  who  work  for  you,  or 
with  you  !  Oh  no ! — neither  you  nor  any  member  of  your 
Order  ever  seek  openly  to  '  persuade  '  any  man  to  any  act, 
whether  good  or  evil  —  your  Rule  is  much  wiser  than 
that !  —  much  more  subtle !  You  issue  no  actual  com- 
mands —  your  power  comes  chiefly  by  suggestion  !  And 
with  you,  —  working  for  you- — I  have  thought  day  and 
night,  night  and  day,  of  the  glory  of  Rome !  —  the  domin- 
ion of  Rome !  —  the  triumph  of  Rome !  I  have  learned, 
under  you,  to  wish  for  it,  to  pray  for  it,  to  desire  it  more 
than  my  own  life !  —  do  you,  c»n  you  blame  me  for  that? 
You  dare  not  call  it  a  sin ;  —  for  your  Order  represents 
it  as  a  virtue  that  condones  all  sin !  " 

Del  Fortis  was  silent,  watching  him  with  a  kind  of 
curious  contempt. 

'  It  grew  to  be  part  of  me,  this  Dream !  "  went  on  the 
lad,  his  eyes  now  shining  with  a  feverish  brilliancy  — 
"  And  I  began  to  see  wonderful  visions,  and  to  hear  voices 
calling  me  in  the  daytime, — voices  that  no  one  else  heard ! 
Once  in  the  College  chapel  I  saw  the  Blessed  Virgin's 
picture  smile !  I  was  copying  documents  for  the  Vatican 
then,  —  and  I  thought  of  the  Holy  Father,  —  how  he  was 
imprisoned  in  Rome,  when  he  should  be  Emperor  of  all 
the  Emperors,  —  King  of  all  the  Kings !  I  remembered 
how  it  was  that  he  had  no  temporal  power,  —  though  all 
the  powers  of  the  earth  should  be  subservient  to  him !  — 
and  my  heart  beat  almost  to  bursting,  and  mv  brain  seemed 
on  fire !  —  but  the  Blessed  Virgin's  picture  still  smiled ; 
—  and  I  knelt  down  before  it  and  swore  that  I,  —  even 
I,  would  help  to  give  the  whole  world  back  to  Rome,  even 
if  I  died  for  it !  " 

He  caught  his  breath  with  a  kind  of  sob,  and  looked 


384  "Temporal  Power' 

appealingly  at  Del  Fortis,  who,  fingering  the  crucifix  he 
held,  sat  immovable. 

"  And  then  —  and  then  "  he  went  on,  "  I  heard  enough, 

—  while  at  work  in  the  monastery  with  you  and  the  breth- 
ren, —  to  strengthen  and  fire  my  resolution.  I  learned 
that  all  kings  are,  in  these  days,  the  enemies  of  the  Church. 
I  learned  that  they  were  all  united  in  one  resolve ;  and 
that,  —  to  deprive  the  Holy  Father  of  temporal  power ! 
Then  I  set  myself  to  study  kings.  Each,  and  all  of  those 
who  sit  on  thrones  to-day  passed  before  my  view ;  —  all 
selfish,  money-seeking,  sensual  men !  —  not  one  good, 
true  soul  among  them !  Demons  they  seemed  to  me,  — 
bent  on  depriving  God's  Evangelist  in  Rome  of  his  Sacred 
and  Supreme  Sovereignty !  It  made  me  mad  !  —  and  I 
would  have  killed  all  kings,  could  I  have  done  so  with 
a  single  thought !  Then  came  a  day  when  you  preached 
openly  in  the  Cathedral  against  this  one  King,  who  should 
by  right  have  gone  to  his  account  this  very  afternoon !  — 
you  told  the  people  how  he  had  refused  lands  to  the 
Church,  —  and  how  by  this  wicked  act  he  had  stopped  the 
progress  of  religious  education,  and  had  put  himself,  as 
it  were,  in  the  way  of  Christ  who  said :  '  Suffer  little  chil- 
dren to  come  unto  Me !  '  And  my  dreams  of  the  glory  of 
Rome  again  took  shape  —  I  saw  in  my  mind  all  the 
children,  —  the  poor  little  children  of  the  world,  gathered 
to  the  knee  of  the  Holy  Father,  and  brought  up  to  obey 
him  and  him  only !  —  I  remembered  my  oath  before  the 
Blessed  Virgin's  picture,  and  all  my  soul  cried  out : 
'  Death  to  the  crowned  Tyrant !     Death ! '     For  you  said 

—  and  I  believed  it  —  that  all  who  opposed  the  Holy 
Father's  will,  were  opposed  to  the  will  of  God ! — and  over 
and  over  again  I  said  in  my  heart :  '  Death  to  the  tyrant ! 
Death !  '  And  the  words  went  with  me  like  the  response 
of  a  litany,  —  till  —  till  —  I  saw  him  before  me  to-day  — 
a  pampered  fool,  surrounded  by  women !  —  a  blazoned 
liar !  —  and  then  —  "  He  paused,  smiling  foolishly  ;  and 
shaking  his  head  with  a  slow  movement  to  and  fro,  he 
added  —  "  The  dagger  should  have  struck  home !  —  it 
was  aimed  surely  —  aimed  strongly !  —  but  that  woman 
came  between  —  why  did  she  come  ?  They  said  she  was 
Lotys !  —  ha  ha !  —  Lotys,  the  Revolutionary  sybil !  — 
Lotys,  the  Socialist !  —  but  that  could  not  be,  —  Lotys  is 
as  great  an  enemy  of  kings  as  I  am  !  " 


"I  Say  —  'Rome'!"  385 

"  And  an  enemy  of  the  Church  as  well ! '"  said  Del 
Fortis  harshly  — "  Between  the  Church  and  Socialism, 
all  Thrones  stand  on  a  cracking  earth,  devoured  by  fire ! 
But  make  no  mistake  about  it !  —  the  woman  was  Lotys ! 
Socialist  and  Revolutionary  as  she  may  be,  she  has  saved 
the  life  of  the  King.  This  is  so  far  fortunate  —  for  you ! 
And  it  is  much  to  be  hoped  that  she  herself  is  not  slain  by 
your  dagger  thrust ;  —  death  is  far  too  easy  and  light  a 
punishment  for  her  and  her  associates !  We  trust  it  may 
please  a  merciful  God  to  visit  her  with  more  lingering 
calamity !  " 

As  he  said  this,  he  piously  kissed  the  crucifix  he  held, 
keeping  his  shallow  dark  eyes  fixed  on  the  prisoner  with 
the  expression  of  a  cat  watching  a  mouse.  The  half- 
crazed  youth,  absorbed  in  the  ideas  of  his  own  dementia, 
still  smiled  to  himself  vaguely,  and  nervously  plucked  at 
his  fingers,  till  Del  Fortis,  growing  impatient  and  forget- 
ting for  the  moment  that  they  stood  in  a  prison  cell,  the 
interior  of  which  might  possibly  be  seen  and  watched 
from  many  points  of  observation  unknown  to  them,  went 
up  to  him  and  shook  him  roughly  by  the  arm. 

"  Attention !  "  he  said  angrily  —  "  Rouse  yourself  and 
hear  me !  You  talk  like  a  fool  or  a  madman,  —  yet  you 
are  neither  —  neither,  you  understand  ?  —  neither  idiot- 
born  nor  suddenly  crazed ;  —  so,  when  on  your  trial  do 
not  feign  to  be  what  you  are  not !  Such  ideas  as  you  have 
expressed,  though  they  may  have  their  foundation  in  a 
desire  for  good,  are  evil  in  their  results  —  yet  even  out  of 
evil  good  may  come  !  The  power  of  Rome  —  the  glory 
of  Rome  —  the  dominion  of  Rome !  Rome,  supreme 
Mistress  of  the  world!  Would  you  help  the  Church  to 
win  this  great  victory  ?  Then  now  is  your  chance !  God 
has  given  you  —  you,  His  poor  instrument,  —  the  means 
to  effectually  aid  His  conquest,  —  to  Him  be  all  the  praise 
and  thanksgiving !  It  rests  with  you  to  accept  His  mes- 
sage and  perform  His  work !  " 

The  high-flown,  melodramatic  intensity  with  which  he 
pronounced  these  words,  had  the  desired  effect  on  the 
stunned  and  bewildered,  weak  mind  of  the  unfortunate 
lad  so  addressed.  His  eyes  sparkled  —  his  cheeks  flushed, 
—  and  he  looked  eagerly  up  into  the  face  of  his  priestly 
hvpnotizer. 

-5 


386         "Temporal  Power' 

"  Yes  —  yes !  "  he  said  quickly  in  a  breathless  whisper 
—  "  But  how  ?  —  tell  me  how !  I  will  work  —  oh,  I  will 
work  —  for  Rome,  for  God,  for  the  Blessed  Virgin !  — 
I  will  do  all  that  I  can  !  —  but  how  —  how  ?  Will  the 
Holy  Father  send  an  angel  to  take  me  out  of  this  prison, 
so  that  I  may  be  free  to  help  God  ?  " 

Del  Fortis  surveyed  him  with  a  kind  of  grim  derision. 
A  slight  noise  like  the  slipping-back  or  slipping-to  of  a 
grating,  startled  him,  and  he  looked  about  him  on  all  sides, 
moved  by  a  sudden  nervous  apprehension.  But  the 
massive  walls  of  the  cell,  oozing  with  damp  and  slime,  had 
apparently  no  aperture  or  outlet  anywhere,  not  even  a  slit 
in  the  masonry  for  the  admission  of  daylight.  Satisfied 
with  his  hasty  examination,  he  took  his  credulous  victim 
by  the  arm,  and  led  him  back  to  the  rough  stone  bench 
where  they  had  first  begun  to  converse. 

"  Kneel  down  here  before  me!  "  —  he  said  —  "  Kneel, 
as  if  you  were  repeating  all  the  sins  of  your  life  to  me  in 
your  last  confession !     Kneel,  I  say !  " 

Feebly,  and  with  trembling  limbs,  the  lad  obeyed. 

"  Now,"  continued  Del  Fortis,  holding  up  the  crucifix 
before  him  —  "  Try  to  follow  my  words  and  understand 
them !  To-morrow,  or  the  next  day,  you  will  be  taken 
before  a  judge  and  tried  for  your  attempted  crime.  Do 
you  realise  that?  " 

"I  do !  "  The  answer  came  hesitatingly,  and  with  a 
faint  moan. 

"  Have  you  thought  what  you  intend  to  say  when  you 
are  asked  your  reasons  for  attacking  the  King?  Do  you 
mean  to  tell  judge  and  jury  the  story  of  what  you  call 
your  '  persuasion  '  to  dream  of  the  dominion  of  Rome  ?  " 

"  Yes  —  yes  !  "  replied  the  lad,  looking  up  with  an  eager 
light  on  his  face  —  "Yes,  I  will  tell  them  all,  —  just  as 
I  have  told  you !  Then  they  will  know,  —  they  will  see 
that  it  was  a  good  thought  of  mine  —  it  would  have  been 
a  good  sin !  I  will  speak  to  them  of  the  wicked  wrongs 
done  to  you  and  your  Holy  Order,  —  of  the  cruelty  which 
the  Christian  Apostle  in  Rome  has  to  suffer  at  the  hands 
of  kings  —  and  they  will  acknowledge  me  to  be  right  and 
just ;  —  they  will  know  I  am  as  a  man  inspired  by  God  to 
work  for  the  Church,  the  bride  of  Christ,  and  to  make  her 
Queen  of  all  the  world  !  " 


"I  Say  — 'Rome'!"  387 

He  stopped  suddenly,  intimidated  by  the  cruel  glare  of 
the  wolfish  eyes  above  him. 

"  You  will  say  nothing  of  all  this !  "  and  Del  Fortis 
shook  the  crucifix  in  his  face  as  though  it  were  a  threaten- 
ing weapon;  'You  will  say  only  what  /  choose,  —  only 
what  /  command !  And  if  you  do  not  swear  to  speak  as 
I  tell  you,  I  will  kill  you !  —  here  and  now  —  with  my 
own  hands !  " 

Uttering  a  half-smothered  cry,  the  wretched  youth  re- 
coiled in  terror. 

"  You  will  kill  me  ?    You  —  you?  "  he  gasped  —  "  No 

—  no !  —  you  could  not  do  that !  you  could  not,  —  you 
are  a  holy  man !  I  —  I  am  not  afraid  that  you  will  hurt 
me !  I  have  done  nothing  to  offend  you,  —  I  have  always 
been  obedient  to  you,  —  I  have  been  your  slave  —  your 
dog  to  fetch  and  carry !  -  -  and  you  should  remember,  — 
yes  !  — you  should  remember  that  my  mother  was  rich,  — 
and  that  because  she  too  felt  the  call  of  God,  she  gave 
all  her  money  to  the  Church,  and  left  me  thrown  upon 
the  streets  to  starve!  But  the  Church  rescued  me  —  the 
Church  did  not  forget!  And  1  am  ready  to  serve  the 
Church  in  all  and  every  possible  way,  —  I  have  done  my 
best,  even  now  !  '! 

He  spoke  with  all  the  passionate  self-persuasion  of  a 
fanatic,  and  Del  Fortis  judged  it  wisest  to  control  his 
own  fierce  inward  impatience  and  deal  with  him  more 
restrainedly. 

"  That  is  true  enough!  "  he  said  in  milder  accents;  — 
"  You  are  ready  to  serve  the  Church,  —  I  do  not  doubt  it ; 

—  but  you  do  not  serve  it  in  the  right  way.  No  earthly 
good  is  gained  to  us  by  the  killing  of  kings !  Their  con- 
version and  obedience  is  what  we  seek.  This  king  you 
would  have  slain  is  a  baptised  son  of  the  Church ;  but 
beyond  attending  mass  regularly  in  his  private  chapel, 
which  he  does  for  the  mere  sake  of  appearances,  he  is  an 
atheist,  condemned  to  the  fires  of  Hell.  Nevertheless, 
no  advantage  to  us  could  possibly  be  obtained  by  his  death. 
Much  can  be  done  for  us  by  you  —  yes,  you!  —  and  much 
will  depend  on  the  answers  to  the  questions  asked  you  at 
your  trial.  Give  those  answers  as  /  shall  bid  you,  and 
you  will  win  a  triumph  for  the  cause  of  Rome !  " 

The  prisoner's  eyes  glittered  feverishly,  —  full  of  the 


388  "  Temporal  Power  ' 

delirium  of  bigotry,  he  caught  the  lean,  cold  hand  that 
held  the  crucifix,  and  kissed  it  fervently. 

"  Command  me !  "  he  muttered  —  "  Command !  —  and 
in  the  name  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  I  will  obey !  ': 

"  Hear  then,  and  attend  closely  to  my  words,"  went  on 
Del  Fortis,  enunciating  his  sentences  in  a  low  distinct 
voice  —  "When  you  are  brought  before  the  judge,  you 
will  be  accused  of  an  attempt  to  assassinate  the  King. 
Make  no  denial  of  it,  —  admit  it  at  once,  and  express 
contrition.  You  will  then  be  asked  if  any  person  or  per- 
sons instigated  you  to  commit  the  crime.  To  this  say 
'  yes  ' !  " 

"  Say  '  yes  ' !  "  repeated  the  lad  —  "  But  that  will  not  be 
true !  " 

"  Fool,  does  it  matter!  "  ejaculated  Del  Fortis,  almost 
savagely  —  "  Have  you  not  sworn  to  speak  as  I  command 
you  ?     What  is  it  to  you  whether  it  is  true  or  false  ?  " 

A  slight  shiver  passed  through  the  prisoner's  limbs  — 
but  he  was  silent. 

"Say"  —  went  on  his  pitiless  instructor  —  "that  you 
were  enticed  and  persuaded  to  commit  the  wicked  deed 
by  the  teachings  of  the  Socialist,  Sergius  Thord,  and  his 
followers.  Say  that  the  woman  Lotys  knew  of  your  in- 
tention, —  and  saved  the  life  of  the  King  at  the  last  mo- 
ment, through  fear,  lest  her  own  seditious  schemes  should 
be  discovered  and  herself  punished.  Say,  —  that  because 
you  were  young  and  weak  and  impressionable,  she  chose 
you  out  to  attempt  the  assassination.     Do  you  hear?': 

"  I  hear !  "  The  reply  came  thickly  and  almost  inaudi- 
bly.  "  But  must  I  tell  these  lies  ?  I  have  never  spoken 
to  Sergius  Thord  in  my  life !  —  nor  to  the  woman  Lotys  ; 
—  I  know  nothing  of  "them  or  their  followers,  except  by 
the  public  talk  ;  —  why  should  I  harm  the  innocent  ?  Let 
me  tell  the  truth,  I  pray  of  you !  —  let  me  speak  as  my 
heart  dictates  !  —  let  me  plead  for  the  Holy  Father  —  for 
vou  —  for  your  Order  —  for  the   Church  ! " 

He  broke  off  as  Del  Fortis  caught  him  by  both  hands 
in  an  angry  grip. 

"  Do  not  dare  to  speak  one  word  of  the  Church !  "  he 
said,  "  Or  of  us,  —  or  of  our  Order !  Let  not  a  single 
syllable  escape  your  lips  concerning  your  connection  with 
us  and  our  Society!  —  or  we  shall  find  means  to  make 


"I  Say  — 'Rome'!"  389 

you  regret  it !  Beware  of  betraying  yourself !  When  you 
are  once  before  the  Court  of  Law,  remember  you  know 
nothing  of  Us,  our  Work,  or  our  Creed !  " 

Utterly  bewildered  and  mystified,  the  unhappy  youth 
rocked  himself  to  and  fro,  clasping  and  unclasping  his 
hands  in  a  kind  of  nervous  paroxysm. 

"  Oh  why,  why  will  you  bid  me  to  do  this  ?  "  he  moaned 
—  "  You  know  there  are  times  when  I  cannot  be  answer- 
able for  myself !  How  can  I  tell  what  I  shall  do  when  I 
am  brought  face  to  face  with  my  accusers  ?  —  when  I  see 
all  the  dreadful  eyes  of  the  people  turned  upon  me  ?  How 
can  I  deny  all  knowledge  of  those  who  brought  me  up, 
and  nurtured  and  educated  me?  If  they  ask  me  of  my 
home,  is  it  not  with  you  ?  —  under  your  sufferance  and 
charity?  If  they  seek  to  know  my  means  of  subsistence, 
is  it  not  through  you  that  I  receive  the  copying-work  for 
which  I  am  paid?  You  would  not  have  me  repudiate  all 
this,  would  you?  I  should  be  worse  than  a  dog  in  sheer 
ingratitude  if  I  did  not  bear  open  testimony  to  all  the 
Church  has  done  for  me!  " 

"  Be,  not  worse  than  a  dog,  but  faithful  as  a  dog  in 
obedience !  "  responded  Del  Fortis  impressively  —  "  And, 
for  once,  speak  of  the  Church  with  the  indifference  of  an 
atheist,  —  or  with  such  marked  coldness  as  a  wise  man 
speaks  of  the  woman  he  secretly  adores  !  Hold  the  Church 
and  Us  too  sacred  for  any  mention  in  a  Court  of  criminal 
law !  But  serve  the  Church  by  involving  the  Socialist 
and  Revolutionary  party !  Think  of  the  magnificent  re- 
sults which  will  spring  from  this  act,  —  and  nerve  your- 
self to  tell  a  lie  in  order  to  support  a  truth !  " 

Rising  unsteadily  from  his  knees,  the  prisoner  stood 
upright.  By  the  flicker  of  the  dim  lamp,  he  looked  deadly 
pale,  and  his  limbs  tottered  as  though  shaken  bv  an  ague 
fit. 

'What  good  will  come  of  it?"  he  queried  dully  — 
"  What  good  can  come  of  it?  " 

"  Great  and  lasting  good  will  come  of  it !  "  —  replied 
Del  Fortis  —  "  And  it  will  come  quickly  too ;  —  in  this 
way,  for  by  fastening  the  accusation  of  undue  influence 
on  Sergius  Thord  and  his  companions,  you  will  obtain 
Government  restriction,  if  not  total  suppression  of  the 
Socialist  party.     This  is  what  we  need !     The  Socialists 


39°         "Temporal  Power' 

are  growing  too  strong  —  too  powerful  in  every  country, 

—  and  we  are  on  the  brink  of  trouble  through  their  ac- 
cursed and  atheistical  demonstrations.  There  will  soon 
be  serious  disturbances  in  the  political  arena  —  possibly 
an  overthrow  of  the  Government,  and  a  general  election 

—  and  if  Sergius  Thord  has  the  chance  of  advancing  him- 
self as  a  deputy,  he  will  be  elected  above  all  others  by  an 
overpowering  majority  of  the  lower  classes.  You  can 
prevent  this !  —  you  can  prevent  it  by  a  single  falsehood, 
which  in  this  case  will  be  more  pleasing  to  God  than  a 
thousand  mischievous  veracities !  Will  you  do  it  ?  Yes 
or  No?" 

The  miserable  lad  looked  helplessly  around  him,  his 
weak  frame  trembling  as  with  palsy,  and  his  uncertain 
fingers  plucking  at  each  other  with  that  involuntary  move- 
ment of  the  muscles  which  indicates  a  disordered  brain. 

"  Will  you,  or  will  you  not  ?  "  reiterated  Del  Fortis  in 
a  whisper  that  hissed  through  the  close  precincts  of  the 
cell  like  the  warning  of  a  snake  about  to  sting  —  "  Answer 
me!" 

"Suppose  I  say  I  will  not!"  —  stammered  the  poor 
wretch,  with  trembling  lips  and  appealing  eyes  —  "  Sup- 
pose I  say  I  will  not  falsely  accuse  the  innocent,  even  for 

the  sake  of  the  Church ?  " 

'  Then,"  said  Del  Fortis  slowly,  rising  and  moving 
towards  him ;  —  "  You  had  best  accept  the  only  alterna- 
tive —  this !  " 

And  he  took  from  his  breast  pocket  a  small  phial,  full 
of  clear,  colourless  fluid,  and  showed  it  to  him  —  "  Take 
it !  —  and  so  make  a  quick  and  quiet  end !  For,  if  you 
betray  you  connection  with  Us  by  so  much  as  a  look,  — 
a  sign,  or  a  syllable,  —  your  mode  of  exit  from  this  world 
may  be  slower,  less  decent,  and  more  painful !  " 

The  miserable  boy  wrung  his  hands  in  agony,  and  such 
a  cry  of  despair  broke  from  his  lips  as  might  have  moved 
anyone  less  cruelly  made  of  spiritual  adamant  than  the 
determined  servant  of  the  cruellest  '  religious '  Order 
known.  The  dull  harsh  clang  of  the  prison  bell  struck 
ten.  The  '  priest '  had  been  an  hour  at  the  work  of  '  con- 
fessing '  his  penitent,  —  and  his  patience  was  well-nigh 
exhausted. 

"  Swear  you  will  attribute  your  intended  assassination 


"I  Say—  'Rome'!"  391 

of  the  King,  to  the.  influence  of  the  Socialists !  "  he  said 

with    fierce    imperativeness  —  "  Or    with    this end 

all  your  difficulties  to-night !  It  is  a  gentle  quietus !  — 
and  you  ought  to  thank  me  for  it !  It  is  better  than  soli- 
tary imprisonment  for  life!  I  will  give  you  absolution 
for  taking  it  -  -  provided  I  see  you  swallow  it  before  I  go ! 
—  and  I  will  declare  to  the  Church  that  I  left  you  shrived 
of  your  sins,  and  clean !  Half  an  hour  after  I  leave  you, 
you  will  sleep !  —  and  wake  —  in  Heaven  !  Make  your 
choice !  " 

The  last  words  had  scarcely  left  his  lips  when  the  cell 
door  was  suddenly  thrown  open,  and  a  blaze  of  light 
poured  in.  Dazzled  by  the  strong  and  sudden  glare,  Del 
Fortis  recoiled,  and  still  holding  the  phial  of  poison  in 
his  hand,  stumbled  back  against  the  half-fainting  form  of 
the  poor  crazed  creature  he  had  been  terrorising,  as  a 
dozen  armed  men  silently  entered  the  dungeon  and  ranged 
themselves  in  order,  six  on  one  side  and  six  on  the  other, 
while,  in  their  midst  one  man  advanced,  throwing  back 
his  dark  military  cloak  as  he  came,  and  displaying  a  mass 
of  jewelled  orders  and  insignia  on  his  brilliant  uniform. 
Del  Fortis  uttered  a  fierce  oath. 

"  The  King!  "  he  muttered,  under  his  breath  —  "  The 
King !  " 

"  Ay,  the  King!  "  and  a  glance  of  supreme  scorn  swept 
over  him  from  head  to  foot,  as  the  monarch's  clear  dark 
grey  eyes  flashed  with  the  glitter  of  cold  steel  in  the  lu- 
minance of  the  torches  which  were  carried  by  attendants 
behind  him ;  "  Monsignor  Del  Fortis !  You  stand  con- 
victed of  the  offence  of  unlawfully  tampering  with  the 
conscience  of  a  prisoner  of  State !  We  have  heard  your 
every  word  —  and  have  obtained  a  bird's-eye  view  of 
your  policy !  —  so  that,  —  if  necessary,  —  we  will  Our- 
selves bear  witness  against  you !  For  the  present,  — 
you  will  be  detained  in  this  fortress  until  our  further 
pleasure !  " 

For  one  moment  Del  Fortis  appeared  to  be  literally  con- 
torted in  every  muscle  by  his  excess  of  rage.  His  features 
grew  livid,  —  his  eyes  became  almost  blood-red,  and  his 
teeth  met  on  his  drawn-in  under-lip  in  a  smile  of  intense 
malignity.  Baffled  again !  —  and  by  this  '  king,'  —  the 
crowned  Dummy,  —  who  had  cast  aside  all  former  pre- 


392  "Temporal  Power 


i  ? 


cedent,  and  instead  of  amusing  himself  with  card-playing 
and  sensual  intrigue,  after  the  accepted  fashion  of  most 
modern  sovereigns,  had  presumed  to  interfere,  not  only 
with  the  Church,  but  with  the  Government,  and  now,  as 
it  seemed,  had  acted  as  a  spy  on  the  very  secrets  of  a  so- 
called  prison  '  confession  ' !  The  utter  impossibility  of 
escaping  from  the  net  into  which  his  own  words  had 
betrayed  him,  stood  plainly  before  his  mind  and  half- 
choked  him  with  impotent  fury,  —  till  —  all  suddenly  a 
thought  crossed  his  brain  like  a  flash  of  fire,  and  with  a 
strong  effort,  he  recovered  his  self-possession.  Crossing 
his  arms  meekly  on  his  breast,  he  bowed  with  a  silent  and 
profound  affectation  of  humility,  as  one  who  is  bent  under 
the  Royal  displeasure,  yet  resigned  to  the  Royal  command, 

—  then  with  a  rapid  movement  he  lifted  the  poison-phial 
he  had  held  concealed,  to  his  lips.  His  action  was  at  once 
perceived.  Two  or  three  of  the  armed  guards  threw 
themselves  upon  him  and,  after  a  brief  struggle,  wrenched 
the  flask  from  his  hand,  but  not  till  he  had  succeeded  in 
swallowing  its  contents.  Breathing  quickly,  yet  smiling 
imperturbably,  he  stood  upright  and  calm. 

"  God's  will  and  mine  —  not  your  Majesty's  —  be 
done  !  "  he  said.  '  In  half  an  hour  —  or  less  —  Mother 
Church  may  add  to  her  list  of  martyrs  the  name  of  Andrea 
Del  Fortis !  —  who  died  rather  than  sacrifice  the  dignity 
of  his  calling  to  the  tyranny  of  a  king !  " 

A  slight  convulsion  passed  over  his  features,  —  he 
staggered  backward.  The  King,  horror-stricken,  signed  to 
the  prison  warders  standing  by,  to  support  him.  He  mut- 
tered a  word  of  thanks,  as  they  caught  him  by  both  arms. 

'  Take  me  where  I  can  die  quietly!  "  he  said  to  them, 
'  It  will  soon  be  over !    I  shall  give  you  little  trouble !  " 

A  cold,  weak,  trembling  hand  clasped  his.  It  was  the 
hand  of  the  King's  wretched  assassin. 

'  Let  me  go  with  you !  "  he  cried  —  "  Let  me  die  with 
you  !  You  have  been  cruel  to  me  !  —  but  you  could  not 
have  meant  it !  —  you  were  once  kind !  " 

Del  Fortis  thrust  him  aside. 

"  Curse  you !  "  he  said  thickly  —  "  You  are  the  cause  — 
you  —  you  are  the  cause  of  this  damned  mischief !    You  ! 

—  God  !  —  to  think  of  it !  —  you  devil's  spawn  !  —  you 
cur!" 


"I  Say— '  Rome'!"  393 

His  voice  failed  him,  and  he  reeled  heavily  against  the 
sturdy  form  of  one  of  the  warders  who  held  him  —  his 
lips  were  flecked  with  blood  and  foam.  Shocked  and 
appalled,  no  less  at  his  words,  than  at  the  fiendish  con- 
tortion of  his  features,  the  King  drew  near. 

"  Curse  hot  a  fellow-mortal,  unhappy  priest,  in  thine 
own  passage  towards  the  final  judgment!"  he  said  in 
grave  accents  —  "  The  blessing  of  this  poor  misguided 
creature  may  help  thee  more  than  even  a  king's  free 
pardon !  " 

And  he  extended  his  hand ;  —  but  with  all  the  force  of 
his  now  struggling  and  convulsed  body,  Del  Fortis  beat 
it  back,  and  raised  himself  by  an  almost  superhuman 
effort. 

'  Pardon !  Who  talks  of  pardon !  "  he  cried,  with  a 
strong  voice  -  '  I  do  not  need  it  —  I  do  not  seek  it !  I 
have  worked  for  the  Church  —  I  die  for  the  Church  !  For 
every  one  that  says  '  The  King !  '  —  I  say,  '  Rome  ' !  " 

He  drew  himself  stiffly  upright ;  his  dark  eyes  glittered  ; 
his  face,  though  deadly  pale,  scarcely  looked  like  the  face 
of  a  dying  man. 

'  I  say,  '  Rome  ' !  "  he  repeated,  in  a  harsh  whisper ;  — 
"  Over  all  the  world !  —  over  all  the  kingdoms  of  the 
world,  and  in  defiance  of  all  kings  —  '  Rome  ' !  " 

He  fell  back,  —  not  dead,  —  but  insensible,  in  the  stupor 
which  precedes  death  ;  —  and  was  quickly  borne  out  of 
the  cell  and  carried  to  the  prison  infirmary,  there  to  re- 
ceive medical  aid,  though  that  could  only  now  avail  to 
soothe  the  approaching  agonies  of  dissolution. 

The  King  stood  mute  and  motionless,  lost  in  thought,  a 
heavy  darkness  brooding  on  his  features.  How  strange 
the  impulse  that  had  led  him  to  be  the  mover  and  witness 
of  this  scene !  By  merest  chance  he  had  learned  that 
Del  Fortis  had  applied  for  permission  to  '  confess  '  the 
would-be  destroyer  of  his  life,  —  the  life  which  Lotys 
had  saved,  —  and  acting  —  as  he  had  lately  accustomed 
himself  to  do  —  on  a  sudden  first  idea  or  instinct,  he  had 
summoned  General  Bernhoff  to  escort  him  to  the  prison, 
and  make  the  way  easy  for  him  to  watch  and  overhear  the 
interview  between  priest  and  penitent,  —  himself  unob- 
served. And  from  so  slight  an  incident  had  sprung  a 
tragedy,  —  which  might  have  results  as  yet  undreamed-of ! 


394  "Temporal  Power' 

And  while  he  yet  mused  upon  this,  General  Bernhoff 
ventured  respectfully  to  approach  him,  and  ask  if  it  was 
now  his  pleasure  to  return  to  the  Palace  ?  He  roused 
himself,  —  and  with  a  heavy  sigh  looked  round  on  the 
damp  and  dismal  cell  in  which  he  stood,  and  at  the  crouch- 
ing-, fear-stricken  form  of  the  semi-crazed  and  now 
violently  weeping  lad  who  had  attempted  his  life. 

'  Take  that  poor  wretch  away  from  here !  "  he  said  in 
hushed  tones  —  "  Give  him  light,  and  warmth,  and  food ! 
His  evil  desires  spring  from  an  unsound  brain  ;  —  I  would 
have  him  dealt  with  mercifully !  Guard  him  with  all 
necessary  and  firm  restraint,  —  but  do  not  brutalise  his 
body  more  than  Rome  has  brutalised  his  soul !  " 

With  that  he  turned  away,  —  and  his  armed  guard  and 
attendants  followed  him. 

That  self-same  midnight  a  requiem  mass  was  sung  in 
a  certain  chapel  before  a  silent  gathering  of  black-robed 
stern-featured  men,  who  prayed  "  For  the  repose  of  the 
soul  of  our  dear  brother,  Andrea  Del  Fortis,  servant  of 
God,  and  martyr  to  the  cause  of  truth  and  justice,  —  who 
departed  this  life  suddenly,  in  the  performance  of  his 
sacred  duties."  In  the  newspapers  next  day,  the  death  of 
this  same  martyr  and  shining  light  of  the  Church  was 
recorded  with  much  paid-for  regret  and  press-eulogy  as 
'  due  to  heart-failure '  and  his  body  being  claimed  by  the 
Jesuit  brotherhood,  it  was  buried  with  great  pomp  and 
solemn  circumstance,  several  of  the  Catholic  societies  and 
congregations  following  it  to  the  grave.  One  week  after 
the  funeral,  —  for  no  other  ostensible  cause  whatever, 
save  the  offence  of  openly  publishing  his  official  refusal  of 
a  grant  of  Crown  lands  to  the  Jesuits,  —  the  Holy  Father, 
the  Evangelist  and  Infallible  Apostle  enthroned  in  St. 
Peter's  Chair,  launched  against  the  King  who  had  dared 
to  deny  his  wish  and  oppose  his  will,  the  once  terrible,  but 
now  futile  ban  of  excommunication ;  and  the  Royal  son 
of  the  .Church  who  had  honestly  considered  the  good  of 
his  people  more  than  the  advancement  of  priestcraft, 
stood  outside  the  sacred  pale,  —  barred  by  a  so-called 
'  Christian  '  creed,  from  the  mercy  of  God  and  the  hope 
of  Heaven. 


«( 


CHAPTER    XXVI 

ONE    WAY,  —  ONE    WOMAN  !  " 


FOR  several  days  after  the  foregoing  events,  the  editors 
and  proprietors  of  newspapers  had  more  than  enough 
'  copy  '  to  keep  them  busy.  The  narrow  escape  of  the 
King  from  assassination,  followed  by  his  excommunica- 
tion from  the  Church,  worked  a  curious  effect  on  the 
minds  of  the  populace,  who  were  somewhat  bewildered 
and  uncertain  as  to  the  possible  undercurrent  of  political 
meaning  flowing  beneath  the  conjunction  of  these  two 
events ;  and  their  feelings  were  intensified  by  the  an- 
nouncement that  the  youth  who  had  attempted  the  mon- 
arch's life,  —  being  proved  as  suffering  from  hereditary 
brain  disease,  —  had  received  a  free  pardon,  and  was 
placed  in  a  suitable  home  for  the  treatment  of  such  cases, 
under  careful  restraint  and  medical  supervision.  The  tide 
of  popular  opinion  was  now  divided  into  two  ways,  — 
for,  and  against  their  Sovereign-ruler.  By  far  the  larger 
half  were  against ;  —  but  the  ban  pronounced  upon  him 
by  the  Pope  had  the  effect  of  making  even  this  disaffected 
portion  inclined  to  consider  him  more  favourably,  —  see- 
ing that  the  Church's  punishment  had  fallen  upon  him, 
apparently  because  he  had  done  his  duty,  as  a  king,  bv 
granting  the  earnest  petitions  of  thousands  of  his  subjects. 
David  Jost,  who  had  always  made  a  point  of  flattering 
Royalty  in  all  its  forms,  now  let  his  pen  go  with  a  com- 
plete passion  of  toadyism,  such  as  disgraced  certain 
writers  in  Great  Britain  during  the  reigns  of  the  perni- 
cious and  vicious  Georges,  —  and,  seeing  the  continued 
success  of  the  rival  journal  which  the  King  had  personally 
favoured,  he  trimmed  his  sails  to  the  Court  breeze,  and 
dropped  the  Church  party  as  though  it  had  burned  his 
fingers.  But  he  found  various  channels  on  which  he  had 
previously   relied    for   information,    rigorously   closed   to 


396 


"  Temporal  Power' 


him.  He  had  written  many  times  to  the  Marquis  de 
Lutera  to  ask  if  the  report  of  his  having  sent  in  his  resig- 
nation was  correct,  —  but  he  had  received  no  answer.  He 
had  called  over  and  over  again  on  Carl  Perousse,  hoping 
to  obtain  a  few  minutes'  conversation  with  him,  but  had 
been  denied  an  interview.    Cogitating  upon  these  changes, 

—  which  imported  much,  —  and  wishing  over  and  over 
again  that  he  had  been  born  an  Englishman,  so  that  by 
the  insidious  flattery  of  Royalty  he  might  obtain  a  peer- 
age, —  as  a  certain  Jew  associate  of  his  concerned  in  the 
same  business  in  London,  had  recently  succeeded  in  doing, 

—  he  decided  that  the  wisest  course  to  follow  was  to  con- 
tinue to  '  butter  '  the  King ;  —  hence  he  laid  it  on  with  a 
thick  brush,  wherever  the  grease  of  hypocrisy  could  show 
off  best.  But  work  as  he  would,  the  '  shares  '  in  his  jour- 
nalistic concerns  were  steadily  going  down,  —  none  of 
his  numerous  magazines  or  '  half-penny  rags,'  paid  so 
well  as  they  had  hitherto  done ;  while  the  one  paper 
which  had  lately  been  so  prominently  used  by  the  King, 
continued  to  prosper,  the  public  having  now  learned  to 
accept  with  avidity  and  eagerness  the  brilliant  articles 
which  bore  the  signature  of  Pasquin  Leroy,  as  though 
they  were  somewhat  of  a  new  political  gospel.  The  charm 
of  mystery  intensified  this  new  writer's  reputation.  He 
was  never  seen  in  '  fashionable  '  society,  —  no  '  fashion- 
able '  person  appeared  to  know  him,  —  and  the  general 
impression  was  that  he  resided  altogether  out  of  the 
country.  Only  the  members  of  the  Revolutionary  Com- 
mittee were  aware  that  he  was  one  of  them,  and  recognised 
his  work  as  part  of  the  carrying  out  of  his  sworn  bond. 
He  had  grown  to  be  almost  the  right  hand  of  Sergius 
Thord ;  wherever  Thord  sought  supporters,  he  helped 
to  obtain  them,  —  wherever  the  sick  and  needy,  the  deso- 
late and  distressed,  required  aid,  he  somehow  managed 
to  secure  it,  —  and  next  to  Thord,  —  and  of  course  Lotys, 

—  he  was  the  idol  of  the  Socialist  centre.  He  never  spoke 
in  public.  —  he  seldom  appeared  at  mass  meetings ;  but 
his  influence  was  always  felt ;  and  he  made  himself  and 
his  work  almost  a  necessity  to  the  Cause.  The  action  of 
Lotys  in  saving  the  life  of  the  King,  had  created  consider- 
able discussion  among  the  Revolutionists,  not  unmixed 
with  anger.     When  she  first  appeared  among  them  after 


''One  Way,  —  One  Woman!'       397 

the  incident,  with  her  arm  in  a  sling,  she  was  greeted  with 
mingled  cheers  and  groans,  to  neither  of  which  she  paid 
the  slightest  attention.  She.  took  her  seat  at  the  head  of 
the  Committee  table  as  usual,  with  her  customary  indiffer- 
ence and  grace,  and  appeared  deaf  to  the  conflicting  mur- 
murs around  her,  —  till,  as  they  grew  louder  and  more 
complaining  and  insistent,  she  raised  her  head  and  sent 
the  lightning  flash  of  her  blue  eyes  down  the  double  line 
of  men  with  a  sweeping  scorn  that  instantly  silenced 
them. 

'What   do   you    seek    from   me?"    she   demanded;  — 
'  Why  do  you  clamour  like  babes  for  something  you  can- 
not get, my  obedience  ?  " 

They  looked  shamefacedly  at  one  another,  —  then  at 
Sergius  Thord  and  Pasquin  Leroy,  who  sat  side  by  side  at 
the  lower  end  of  the  table.  Max  Graub  and  Axel  Regor, 
Leroy's  two  comrades,  were  for  once  absent ;  but  they 
had  sent  suitable  and  satisfactory  excuses.  Thord's  brows 
were  heavy  and  lowering,  —  his  eyes  were  wild  and  un- 
restful,  and  his  attitude  and  expression  were  such  as 
caused  Laroy  to  watch  him  with  a  little  more  than  his 
usual  close  attention.  Seeing  that  his  companions  ex- 
pected him  to  answer  Lotys  before  them  all,  he  spoke 
with  evident  effort. 

'  You  make  a  difficult  demand  upon  us,  Lotys,"  he 
said  slowly,  "  if  you  wish  us  to  explain  the  stormy  nature 
of  our  greeting  to  you  this  evening.  You  might  surely 
have  understood  it  without  a  question !  For  we  are  com- 
pelled to  blame  you  ;  —  you  who  have  never  till  now  de- 
served blame,  —  for  the  folly  of  your  action  in  exposing 
your  own  life  to  save  that  of  the  King!  The  one  is  val- 
uable to  us  —  the  other  is  nothing  to  us  !  Besides,  you 
have  trespassed  against  the  Seventh  Rule  of  our  Order 
—  which  solemnly  pledges  us  to  '  destroy  the  present 
monarchy  ' ! '' 

"  Ah ! '"  said  Lotys,  "  And  is  it  part  of  the  oath  that  the 
monarchy  should  be  destroyed  by  murder  without  warn- 
ing ?  You  know  it  is  not !  You  know  that  there  is  nothing 
more  dastardly,  more  cowardly,  more  utterly  loathsome 
and  contemptible  than  to  kill  a  man  defenceless  and  un- 
armed !  We  speak  of  a  Monarchy,  not  a  King ;  —  not 
one  single  individual,  —  for  if  he  were  killed,  he  has  three 


398  Temporal  Power' 

sons  to  come  after  him.  You  have  called  me  the  Soul  of 
an  Ideal  —  good  !  But  I  am  not,  and  will  not  be  the  Soul 
of  a  Murder-Committee!  "     ♦ 

'  Well  spoken !  "  said  Johan  Zegota,  looking  up  from 
some  papers  which  he,  as  secretary  to  the  Society,  had 
been  docketing  for  the  convenience  of  Thord's  perusal ; 
'  But  do  not  forget,  brave  Lotys,  that  the  very  next  meet- 
ing we  hold  is  the  annual  one,  in  which  we  draw  lots  for 
the  '  happy  dispatch  '  .of  traitors  and  false  rulers ;  and 
that  this  year  the  name  of  the  King  is  among  them !  " 

Lotys  grew  a  shade  paler,  but  she  replied  at  once  and 
dauntlessly. 

"  I  do  not  forget  it !  But  if  lots  are  cast  and  traitors 
doomed,  —  it  is  part  of  our  procedure  to  give  any  such 
doomed  man  six  months' .steady  and  repeated  warning, 
that  he  may  have  time  to  repent  of  his  mistakes  and 
remedy  them,  so  that  haply  he  may  still  be  spared ;  —  and 
also  that  he  may  take  heed  to  arm  himself,  that  he  do  not 
die  defenceless.  Had  I  not  saved  the  King,  his  death 
would  have  been  set  down  to  us,  and  our  work !  Any  one 
of  you  might  have  been  accused  of  influencing  the  crazy 
boy  who  attempted  the  deed,  —  and  it  is  quite  possible  our 
meetings  would  have  been  suppressed,  and  all  our  work 
fatally  hindered,  —  if  not  entirely  stopped.  Foolish  chil- 
dren !  You  should  thank  me,  not  blame  me !  —  but  you 
are  blind  children  all,  and  cannot  even  see  where  you  have 
been  faithfully  served  by  your  faithfullest  friend !  " 

At  these  words  a  new  light  appeared  to  break  on  the 
minds  of  all  present  —  a  light  that  was  reflected  in  their 
eager  and  animated  faces.  The  knotted  line  of  Thord's 
brooding  brows  smoothed  itself  gradually  away. 

'  Was  that  indeed  your  thought,  Lotys,"  he  asked 
gently,  almost  tenderly  —  "  Was  it  for  our  sakes  and  for 
us  alone,  that  you  saved  the  King?  " 

At  that  instant  Pasquin  Leroy  turned  his  eyes,  which 
till  now  had  been  intent  on  watching  Thord,  to  the  other 
end  of  the  table  where  the  fine,  compact  woman's  head, 
framed  in  its  autumn-gold  hair,  was  silhouetted  against 
the  dark  background  of  the  wall  behind  her  like  a  cameo. 
His  gaze  met  hers,  —  and  a  vague  look  of  fear  and  pain 
flashed  over  her  face,  as  a  faint  touch  of  colour  reddened 
her  cheeks. 


"One  Way,  —  One  Woman!'       399 

"  1  am  not  accustomed  to  repeat  my  words,  Sergius 
Thord!  "  she  answered  coldly;    "  I  have  said  my  say!  " 

Looks  were  exchanged,  and  there  was  a  silence. 

"  If  we  doubt  Lotys,  we  doubt  the  very  spirit  of  our- 
selves !  "  said  Pasquin  Leroy,  his  rich  voice  thrilling  with 
unwonted  emotion;  "Sergius  —  and  comrades  all!  If 
von  will  hear  me,  and  believe  me,  —  you  may  take  my 
word  for  it,  she  has  run  the  risk  of  death  for  Us !  —  and 
has  saved  Us  from  false  accusation,  and  Government  in- 
terference! To  wrong  Lotys  by  so  much  as  a  thought, 
is  to  wrong  the  truest  woman  God  ever  made !  '' 

A  wild  shout  answered  him,  —  and  moved  by  one  im- 
pulse, the  whole  body  of  men  rose  to  their  feet  and  drank 
"  to  the  health  and  honour  of  Lotys!  "  with  acclamation, 
many  of  them  afterwards  coming  round  to  where  she  sat, 
and  kneeling  to  kiss  her  hand  and  ask  her  pardon  for  their 
momentary  doubt  of  her,  in  the  excitement  and  enthu- 
siasm of  their  souls.  But  Lotys  herself  sat  very  silent,  — 
almost  as  silent  as  Sergius  Thord,  who,  though  he  drank 
the  toast,  remained  moody  and  abstracted. 

When  the  company  dispersed  that  night,  each  man 
present  was  carefully  reminded  by  the  secretary,  Johan 
Zeeota,  that  unless  the  most  serious  illness  or  misfortune 
intervened,  every  one  must  attend  the  next  meeting,  as 
it  was  the  yearly  "  Day  of  Fate."  Pasquin  Leroy  was 
told  that  his  two  friends,  Max  Graub  and  Axel  Regor 
must  be  with  him,  and  he  willingly  made  himself  surety 
for  their  attendance. 

"  But,"  said  he,  as  he  gave  the  promise,  "  what  is  the 
Day  of  Fate?" 

Johan  Zegota  pointed  a  thin  finger  delicately  at  his 
heart. 

"  The  Day  of  Fate,"  he  said,  "  is  the  day  of  punishment, 
—  or  Decision  of  Deaths.  The  names  of  several  persons 
who  have  been  found  guilty  of  treachery,  —  or  who  other- 
wise do  injury  to  the  people  by  the  manner  of  their  life 
and  conduct,  are  written  down  on  slips  of  paper,  which 
are  folded  up  and  put  in  one  receptacle,  together  with 
two  or  three  hundred  blanks.  They  must  be  all  men's 
names,  —  we  never  make  war  on  women.  Against  some 
of  these  names,  —  a  Red  Cross  is  placed.  Whosoever 
draws  a  name,  and  finds  the  red  cross  against  it,  is  bound 


4-oo         "Temporal  Power' 

to  kill,  within  six  months  after  due  warning,  the  man 
therein  mentioned.  If  he  fortunately  draws  a  blank  then 
he  is  free  for  a  year  at  least,  —  in  spite  of  the  fatal  sign, 
—  from  the  unpleasant  duty  of  despatching  a  fellow  mor- 
tal to  the  next  world"  —  and  here  Zegota  smiled  quite 
cheerfully ;  "  But  if  he  draws  a  Name,  —  and  at  the  same 
time  sees  the  red  cross  against  it,  then  he  is  bound  by 
his  oath  to  us  to do  his  duty!  " 

Leroy  nodded,  and  appeared  in  no  wise  dismayed  at 
the  ominous  suggestion  implied. 

"  How  if  our  friend  Zouche  were  to  draw  the  fatal 
sign,"  he  said;  "Would  he  perform  his  allotted  task, 
think  you  ?  " 

'  Most  thoroughly !  "  replied  Zegota,  still  smiling. 

And  with  that,  they  separated. 

Meanwhile,  during  the  constant  change  and  interchange 
of  conflicting  rumours,  some  of  which  appeared  to  have 
foundation  in  fact,  and  others  which  rapidly  dispersed 
themselves  as  fiction,  there  could  be  no  doubt  whatever 
of  the  growing  unpopularity  of  the  Government  in  power. 
Little  by  little,  drop  by  drop,  there  oozed  out  the  secrets 
of  the  '  Perousse  Policy,"  which  was  merely  another 
name  for  Perousse  Self-aggrandisement.  Little  by  little, 
certain  facts  were  at  first  whispered,  and  then  more  loudly 
talked  about,  as  to  the  nature  of  his  financial  speculations ; 
and  it  was  soon  openly  stated  that  in  the  formation  of 
some  of  the  larger  companies,  which  were  beginning  to 
be  run  on  the  Gargantuan  lines  of  the  "  American  Trust  " 
idea,  he  had  enormous  shares,  —  though  these  "  Trusts  " 
had  been  frequently  denounced  as  a  means  of  enslaving 
the  country,  and  ruining  certain  trade-interests  which  he 
was  in  office  to  protect.  Accusations  began  to  be  guard- 
edly thrown  out  against  him  in  the  Senate,  which  he 
parried  off  with  the  cool  and  audacious  skill  of  an  expert 
fencer,  knowing  that  for  the  immediate  moment  at  least, 
he  had  a  "  majority  "  under  his  thumb.  This  majority 
was  composed  of  persons  who  had  unfortunately  become 
involved  in  his  toils,  and  were,  therefore,  naturally  afraid 
of  him ;  —  yet  it  was  evident,  even  to  a  superficial  student 
of  events,  that  if  once  the  innuendoes  against  his  probity 
as  a  statesman  could  be  veraciously  proved,  this  sense  of 
intimidation  among  his  supporters  would  be  removed,  and 


"One  Way,  —  One  Woman!'      401 

like  the  props  set  against  a  decaying  house,  their  with- 
drawal would  result  in  the  ruin  of  the  building.  It  was 
pretty  well  known  that  the  Marquis  de  Lutera  had  sent 
in  his  resignation,  but  it  was  not  at  all  certain  whether  the 
King  was  of  a  mind  to  accept  it. 

Things  were  in  abeyance,  —  political  and  social  matters 
whirled  giddily  towards  chaos  and  confusion  ;  and  the 
numerous  hurried  Cabinet  Councils  that  were  convened, 
boded  some  perturbation  among  the  governing  heads  of 
the  State.  From  each  and  all  of  these  meetings  Ministers 
came  away  more  gloomy  and  despondent  in  manner,  — 
some  shook  their  heads  sorrowfully  and  spoke  of  '  the 
King's  folly," — others  with  considerable  indignation  flung 
out  sudden  invectives  against  "  the  King's  insolence!  "  — 
and  between  the  two  appellations,  it  was  not  ea'sy  to  meas- 
ure exactly  the  nature  of  the  conduct  which  had  deserved 
them.  For  the  King  himself  made  no  alteration  whatever 
in  the  outward  character  of  his  daily  routine ;  he  trans- 
acted business  in  the  morning,  lunched,  sometimes  with 
his  family,  sometimes  with  friends ;  drove  in  the  after- 
noon, and  showed  himself  punctiliously  at  different  the- 
atres once  or  twice  in  the  evenings  of  the  week.  The  only 
change  more  observant  persons  began  to  notice  in  his 
conduct  was,  that  he  had  drawn  the  line  of  demarcation 
very  strongly  between  those  persons  who  by  rank  and 
worth,  and  nobility  of  life,  merited  his  attention,  and  those 
who  by  mere  Push  and  Pocket,  sought  to  win  his  favour 
bv  that  servile  flattery  and  obsequiousness  which  are  the 
trademarks  of  the  plebeian  and  vulgarian.  Quietly  but 
firmly,  he  dropped  the  acquaintance  of  Jew  sharks,  lying 
in  wait  among  the  dirty  pools  of  speculation  ;  —  with  ease 
and  absoluteness  he  '  let  go  '  one  by  one,  certain  ladies  of 
particularly  elastic  virtue,  who  fondly  dreamed  that  they 
'  managed  '  him  ;  and  among  these,  to  her  infinite  rage  and 
despair,  went  Madame  Vantine,  wife  of  Vantine  the  wine- 
grower, a  yellow-haired,  sensual  "  femclle  d'homme," 
whose  extravagance  in  clothes,  and  reckless  indecency  in 
conversation,  combined  with  the  King's  amused  notice, 
and  the  super-excellence  of  her  husband's  wines,  had  for 
a  brief  period  made  her  '  the  rage  '  among  a  certain  set  of 
exceedingly  dissolute  individuals. 

In  place  of  this  kind  of  riff-raff  of  "  nouveaux  riches," 

26 


4-0  2  "Temporal  Power' 

and  plutocrats,  he  began  by  degrees  to  form  around  him- 
self a  totally  different  entourage, — though  he  was  careful 
to  make  his  various  changes  slowly,  so  that  they  should 
not  be  too  freely  noticed  and  commented  upon.  Great 
nobles,  whether  possessed  of  vast  wealth  and  estates,  or 
altogether  landless,  were  summoned  to  take  their  rightful 
positions  at  the  Court,  where  Vantine  the  wine-grower, 
and  Jost  the  Jew,  no  more  obtained  admittance ;  —  men 
of  science,  letters  and  learning,  were  sought  out  and  hon- 
oured in  various  ways,  their  wives  and  daughters  receiv- 
ing special  marks  of  the  Royal  attention  and  favour ;  and 
round  the  icy  and  statuesque  beauty  of  the  Queen  soon 
gathered  a  brilliant  bevy  of  the  real  world  of  women,  not 
the  half- world  of  the  '  femme  galante  '  which  having  long 
held  sway  over  the  Crown  Prince  while  Heir-Apparent 
to  the  Throne,  judged  itself  almost  as  a  necessary,  and 
even  becoming,  appendage  to  his  larger  responsibility 
and  state  as  King.  These  excellent  changes,  beneficial 
and  elevating  to  the  social  atmosphere  generally,  could 
not  of  course  be  effected  without  considerable  trouble 
and  heart-burning,  in  the  directions  where  certain  persons 
had  received  their  dismissal  from  such  favour  as  they  had 
previously  held  at  Court.  The  dismissed  ones  thirsted 
with  a  desire  for  vengeance,  and  took  every  opportunity 
to  inflame  the  passions  of  their  own  particular  set  against 
the  King,  some  of  them  openly  declaring  their  readiness 
to  side  with  the  Revolutionary  party,  and  help  it  to  power. 
But  over  the  seething  volcano  of  discontent,  the  tide  of 
fashion  moved  as  usual,  to  all  outward  appearances  tran- 
quil, and  absorbed  in  trivialities  of  the  latest  description; 
and  though  many  talked,  few  dreamed  that  the  mind  of 
the  country,  growing  more  compressed  in  thought,  and 
inflammable  in  nature  every  day,  was  rapidly  becoming 
like  a  huge  magazine  of  gunpowder  or  dynamite,  which 
at  a  spark  would  explode  into  that  periodically  recurring 
fire-of-cleansing   called    Revolution. 

Weighted  with  many  thoughts,  Sir  Roger  de  Launay, 
whose  taciturn  and  easy  temperament  disinclined  him 
for  argument  and  kept  him  aloof  from  discussion  when- 
ever he  could  avoid  it,  sat  alone  one  evening  in  his  own 
room  which  adjoined  the  King's  library,  writing  a  few 
special  letters  for  his  Majesty  which  were  of  too  friendly 


"One  Way,  —  One  Woman!'        403 

a  nature  to  be  dealt  with  in  the  curt  official  manner  of 
the  private  secretary.  Once  or  twice  he  had  risen  and 
drawn  aside  the  dividing  curtain  between  himself  and 
the  King's  apartment  to  see  if  his  Royal  master  had  en- 
tered ;  but  the  room  remained  empty,  though  it  was  long 
past  eleven  at  night.  He  looked  every  now  and  again  at 
a  small  clock  which  ticked  with  a  quick  intrusive  cheer- 
fulness on  his  desk,  —  then  with  a  slight  sigh  resumed 
his  work.  Letter  after  letter  was  written  and  sealed,  and 
he  was  getting  to  the  end  of  his  correspondence,  when  a 
tap  at  the  door  disturbed  him,  and  his  sister  Teresa,  the 
Queen's  lady-in-waiting,  entered. 

"  Is  the  King  within?"  she  asked  softly,  moving  al- 
most on  tiptoe  as  she  came. 

Sir  Roger  shook  his  head. 

'  He  has  been  absent  for  some  time,"  he  replied,  — 
then  after  a  pause  —  '  But  what  are  you  here  for,  Teresa  ? 
This  is  not  your  department !  "  and  he  took  her  hand 
kindly,  noticing  with  some  concern  that  there  were  tears 
in  her  large  dark  eyes ;  —  'Is  anything  wrong? " 

"  Nothing !     That  is,  -  -  nothing  that  I  have  any  right 

to  imagine — or  to  guess.     But "  and  here  she  seemed 

a  little  confused  - —  '  I  am  commanded  by  the  Queen  to 
summon  you  to  her  presence  if,  —  if  the  King  has  not 
returned!  " 

He  rose  at  once,  looking  perplexed.  Teresa  watched 
him  anxiously,  and  the  expression  of  his  face  did  not  tend 
to  reassure  her. 

"  Roger,"  she  began  timidly  —  "  Would  you  not  tell 
me,  —  might  I  not  know  something  of  this  mystery  ? 
Might  I  not  be  trusted  ?  " 

His  languid  eyes  flashed  with  a  sudden  tenderness,  as 
from  his  great  and  stately  height  he  looked  down  upon 
her  pretty  shrinking  figure. 

"  Poor  little  Teresa!  "  he  murmured  playfully ;  "  What 
is  the  matter  ?    What  mystery  are  you  talking  about  ?  " 

'  You  know  —  you  must  know  !  "  answered  Teresa, 
clasping  her  hands  with  a  gesture  of  entreaty ;  "  There 
is  something  wrong,  I  am  sure !  Why  is  the  King  so 
often  absent  —  when  all  the  household  suppose  him  to  be 
with  the  Queen  ?  —  or  in  his  private  library  there  ?  "  and 
she  pointed  to  the  curtained-off  Royal  sanctum  beyond ; 


404  "Temporal  Power' 

"  Why  does  the  Queen  herself  give  it  out  that  he  is  with 
her,  when  he  is  not?  Why  does  he  enter  the  Queen's 
corridor  sometimes  quite  late  at  night  by  the  private  bat- 
tlement-stair ?  Does  it  not  seem  very  strange?  And 
since  he  was  so  nearly  assassinated,  his  absences  have 
been  more  frequent  than  ever!  " 

Sir  Roger  pulled  his  long  fair  moustache  meditatively 
between  his  fingers. 

"  When  you  were  a  little  girl,  Teresa,  you  must  have 
been  told  the  story  of  Blue-beard;  "  he  said;  "  Xow  take 
my  advice !  —  and  do  not  try  to  open  forbidden  doors 
with  your  tiny  golden  key  of  curiosity!  " 

Teresa's  cheeks  flushed  a  pretty  rose  pink. 

"  I  am  not  curious ;  "  she  said,  with  an  air  of  hauteur ; 
"  And  indeed  I  am  far  too  loyal  to  say  anything  to  anyone 
but  to  you,  of  what  seems  so  new  and  strange.     Besides 

the   Queen   has    forbidden    me only    it    is   just 

because  of  the  Queen- "  here  she  stopped  hesitatingly. 

"  Because  of  the  Queen?  "  echoed  Sir  Roger;  "Why?" 

"  She  is  unhappy !  "  said  Teresa. 

A  smile,  —  somewhat  bitter,  —  crossed  De  Launay's 
face. 

"  Unhappy  !  "  he  repeated  ;  "  She  !  You  mistake  her, 
little  girl !  She  does  not  know  what  it  is  to  be  unhappy ; 
nothing  so  weak  and  slight  as  poor  humanity  affects  the 
shining  iceberg  of  her  soul !  For  it  is  an  iceberg,  Teresa ! 
The  sun  shines  on  it  all  day,  fierce  and  hot,  and  never 
moves  or  melts  one  glittering  particle !  " 

He  spoke  with  a  concentrated  passion  of  melancholy, 
and  Teresa  trembled  a  little.  She  knew,  as  no  one  else 
did,  the  intense  and  despairing  love  that  had  corroded  her 
brother's  life  ever  since  the  Queen  had  been  brought  home 
to  the  kingdom  in  all  her  exquisite  maiden  beauty,  as 
bride  of  the  Heir- Apparent.  Such  love  terrified  her ;  she 
did  not  understand  it.  She  knew  it  was  hopeless,  —  she 
felt  it  was  disloyal,  —  and  yet  —  it  was  love !  —  and  her 
brother  was  one  of  the  truest  and  noblest  of  gentlemen, 
devoted  to  the  King's  service,  and  incapable  of  a  mean 
or  a  treacherous  act.  The  position  was  quite  incompre- 
hensible to  her,  for  she  was  not  thoughtful  enough  to 
analyse  it,  —  and  she  had  no  experience  of  the  tender 
passion  herself,  to  aid  her  in  sympathetically  considering 


"One  Way,  —  One  Woman!'       405 

its  many  moods,  sorrows,  and  inexplicable  martyrdoms 
of  mind-torture.  She  contented  herself  now  with  repeat- 
ing her  former  assertion. 

"  She  is  unhappy,  —  I  am  sure  she  is !  You  may  call 
her  an  iceberg,  if  you  like,  Roger!  —  men  have  such 
odd  names  for  the  women  they  are  unable  to  under- 
stand !  But  I  have  seen  the  iceberg  shed  tears  very  often 
lately !  " 

He  looked  at  her,  surprised. 

"  You  have  ?  Then  we  may  expect  the  Pallas  Athene 
to  weep  in  marble?  Well!  What  did  you  say,  Teresa? 
That  her  Majesty  commanded  my  presence,  if  the  King 
had  not  returned?" 

Teresa  nodded  assent.  She  was  a  little  worried  —  her 
brother's  face  looked  worn  and  pale,  and  he  seemed  moved 
beyond  himself.  She  watched  him  nervously  as  he  pushed 
aside  the  dividing  curtain,  and  looked  into  the  adjoining 
room.  It  was  still  vacant.  The  window  stood  open,  and 
the  line  of  the  sea,  glittering  in  the  moon,  shone  far  off 
like  a  string  of  jewels,  —  while  the  perfume  of  heliotrope 
and  lilies  came  floating  in  deliciously  on  the  cool  night- 
breeze.  Satisfied  that  there  was  as  yet  no  sign  of  his 
Royal  master,  he  turned  back  again,  —  and  stooping  his 
tall  head,  kissed  the  charming  girl,  whose  anxious  and 
timid  looks  betrayed  her  inward  anxiety. 

"  I  am  ready,  Teresa!  "  he  said  cheerfully;  "  Lead  the 
way ! 

She  glided  quickly  on  before  him,  along  an  inner  pas- 
sage leading  to  the  Queen's  apartments.  Arriving  at 
one  particular  door,  she  opened  it  noiselessly,  and  with 
a  warning  finger  laid  on  her  lips,  went  in  softly,  —  Sir 
Roger  following.  The  light  of  rose-shaded  waxen  tapers 
which  were  reflected  a  dozen  times  in  the  silver-framed 
mirrors  that  rose  up  to  the  ceiling  from  banks  of  flowers 
below,  shed  a  fairy-like  radiance  on  the  figure  of  the 
Queen,  who,  seated  at  a  reading-table,  with  one  hand 
buried  in  the  loosened  waves  of  her  hair,  seemed  absorbed 
in  the  close  study  of  a  book.  A  straight  white  robe  of 
thick  creamy  satin  flowed  round  her  perfect  form,  —  it 
was  slightly  open  at  the  throat,  and  softened  with  a 
drifting  snow  of  lace,  in  which  one  or  two  great  jewels 
sparkled.     As  Sir  Roger  approached  her  with  his  usual 


406  "Temporal  Power" 

formal  salute,  —  she  turned  swiftly   round   with  an  air 
of  scarcely-concealed  impatience. 

"  Where  is  the  King?  "  she  demanded. 

Startled  at  the  sudden  peremptory  manner  of  her  ques- 
tion, Sir  Roger  hesitated,  —  for  the  moment  taken  quite 
aback. 

'  Did  I  not  tell  you,"  she  went  on,  in  the  same  imperi- 
ous tone;  'that  1  made  you  responsible  for  his  safety? 
Yet  —  though  you  were  by  his  side  at  the  time  —  you 
could  not  shield  him  from  attempted  assassination !  That 
was  left,  —  to  a  woman  !  " 

Her  breast  heaved  —  her  eyes  flashed  glorious  light- 
ning, —  she  looked  altogether  transformed. 

Had  a  thunder-bolt  fallen  through  the  painted  ceiling 
at  Sir  Roger's  feet,  he  could  scarcely  have  been  more 
astounded. 

'  Madam !  "  he  stammered,  —  and  then  as  the  light  of 
her  eyes  swept  over  him,  with  a  concentration  of  scorn 
and  passion  such  as  he  had  never  seen  in  them,  he  grew 
deadly  pale. 

'  Who,  and  what  is  this  woman  ?  "  she  went  on ;  "  Why 
was  it  given  to  her  to  save  the  King's  life,  while  you  stood 
by?  Why  was  she  brought  to  the  Palace  to  be  attended 
like  some  princess, — and  then  taken  away  secretly  before  I 
could  see  her?    Lotys  is  her  name — I  know  it  by  heart !" 

Like  twinkling  stars,  the  jewels  in  her  lace  scintillated 
with  the  quick  panting  of  her  breath. 

'The  King  is  absent,"  —  she  continued  —  "as  usual; 
—  but  why  are  you  not  with  him,  also  as  usual  ?  Answer 
me!  " 

'Madam,"  said  De  Launay,  slowly;  "For  some  few 
days  past  his  Majesty  has  absolutely  forbidden  me  to 
attend  him.  To  carry  out  your  commands  I  should  be 
forced  to  disobey  his!  " 

She  looked  at  him  in  a  suppressed  passion  of  enquiry. 

"  Then  —  is  he  alone?  "  she  asked. 

'  Madam,  I  regret  to  say  —  he  is  quite  alone !  " 

She  rose,  and  paced  once  up  and  down  the  room,  a 
superb  figure  of  mingled  rage  and  pride,  and  humiliation, 
all  comingled.  Her  eyes  lighted  on  Teresa,  who  had 
timorously  withdrawn  to  a  corner  of  the  apartment  where 
she  stood  apparently  busied  in  arranging  some  blossoms 


"One  Way,  —  One  Woman!'       407 

that  had  fallen  too  far  out  of  the  crystal  vase  in  which 
they  were  set. 

"Teresa,  you  can  leave  us!"  she  said  suddenly;  "I 
will  speak  to  Sir  Roger  alone." 

With  a  nervous  glance  at  her  brother,  who  stood  mute, 
his  head  slightly  bent,  himself  immovable  as  a  figure  of 
stone,  Teresa  curtseyed  and  withdrew. 

The  Queen  stood  haughtily  erect,  —  her  white  robes 
trailing  around  her,  —  her  exquisite  face  transfigured  into 
a  far  grander  beauty  than  had  ever  been  seen  upon  it, 
by  some  pent-up  emotion  which  to  Sir  Roger  was  well- 
nigh  inexplicable.  His  heart  beat  thickly  ;  he  could  al- 
most hear  its  heavy  pulsations,  and  he  kept  his  eyes 
lowered,  lest  she  should  read  too  clearly  in  them  the 
adoration  of  a  lifetime. 

"  Sir  Roger,  speak  plainly,"  she  said,  "  and  speak  the 
truth !  Some  little  time  ago  you  said  it  was  wrong  for 
me  to  shut  out  from  my  sight,  my  heart,  my  soul,  the 
ugly  side  of  Nature.  I  have  remedied  that  fault!  I  am 
looking  at  the  ugly  side  of  Nature  now,  -  -  in  myself ! 
The  rebellious  side  —  the  passionate,  fierce,  betrayed  side ! 
I  trusted  you  with  the  safety  of  the  King!  " 

"  Madam,  he  is  safe !  "  said  Sir  Roger  quietly  ;  -  'I 
can  guarantee  upon  my  life  that  he  is  with  those  who  will 
defend  him  far  more  thoroughly  than  I  could  ever  do ! 
It  is  better  to  have  a  hundred  protectors  than  one !  ': 

"  Oh,  I  know  what  you  would  imply !  "  she  answered, 
impatiently ;  "  I  understand,  thus  far,  from  what  he  him- 
self has  told  me.  But  —  there  is  something  else,  some- 
thing else !  Something  that  portends  far  closer  and  more 
intimate  danger  to  him " 

She  paused,  apparently  uncertain  how  to  go  on,  and 
moving:  back  to  her  chair,  sat  down. 

"  If  you  are  the  man  I  have  imagined  you  to  be,  she 
continued,  in  deliberate  accents  ;  "  You  perfectly  know  — 
you  perfectly  understand  what  I  mean!  " 

Sir  Roger  raised  his  head  and  looked  her  bravely  in 
the  eyes. 

"  You  would  imply,  Madam,  that  one,  who  like  myself 
has  been  conscious  of  a  great  passion  for  many  years, 
should  be  able  to  recognise  the  signs  of  it  in  others ! 
Your  Majesty  is  right!     Once  you  expressed  to  me  a 


?» 


408  "Temporal  Power 

wonder  as  to  what  it  was  like  '  to  feel.'  If  that  experience 
has  come  to  you  now,  I  cannot  but  rejoice,  —  even  while 
I  grieve  to  think  that  you  must  endure  pain  at  the  dis- 
covery. Yet  it  is  only  from  the  pierced  earth  that  the 
flowers  can  bloom,  — -  and  it  may  be  you  will  have  more 
mercy  for  others,  when  you  yourself  are  wounded !  " 

She  was  silent. 

He  drew  a  step  nearer. 

'You  wish  me  to  speak  plainly?"  he  continued  in  a 
lower  tone.  '  You  give  me  leave  to  express  the  lurking 
thought  which  is  in  your  own  heart  ?  " 

She  gave  a  slight  inclination  of  her  head,  and  he  went 
on. 

'  You  assume  danger  for  the  King,  —  but  not  danger 
from  the  knife  of  the  assassin  —  or  from  the  schemes  of 
revolutionists!  You  judge  him  —  as  I  do  —  to  be  in  the 
grasp  of  the  greatest  Force  which  exists  in  the  universe ! 
The  force  against  which  there  is,  and  can  be  no  opposi- 
tion !  —  a  force,  which  if  it  once  binds  even  a  king  — 
makes  of  him  a  life-prisoner,  and  turns  mere  '  temporal 
power '  to  nothingness ;  upsetting  thrones,  destroying 
kingdoms',  and  beating  down  the  very  Church  itself  in  the 
way  of  its  desires  —  and  that  force  is  —  Love !  " 

She  started  violently,  ■ —  then  controlled  herself. 

'  You  waste  your  eloquence  !  "  she  said  coldly ;  "  What 
you  speak  of,  I  do  not  understand.  I  do  not  believe  in 
Love !  " 

"  Or  jealousy?  " 

The  words  sprang  from  his  lips  almost  unconsciously, 
and  like  a  magnificent  animal  who  has  been  suddenly 
stung,  she  sprang  upright. 

'  How  dare  you !  "  she  said  in  low,  vibrating  accents  — 
"  How  dare  you  !  " 

Sir  Roger's  breath  came  quick  and  fast,  —  but  he  was 
a  strong  man  with  a  strong  will,  and  he  maintained  his 
attitude  of  quiet  resolution. 

"Madam!  —  My  Queen!  —  forgive  me!':  he  said; 
"  But  as  your  humblest  friend  —  your  faithful  servant ! 
—  let  me  have  my  say  with  you  now  —  and  then  —  if  you 
will  —  condemn  me  to  perpetual  silence !  You  despise 
Love,  you  say !  Yes  —  because  you  have  only  seen  its 
poor  imitations !    The  King's  light  gallantries,  —  his  sins 


"One  Way,  —  One  Woman!'      409 

of  body,  which  in  many  cases  are  not  sins  of  mind,  have 
disgusted  you  with  its  very  name!     The  King  has  loved 

—  or  can  love  —  so  you  think,  —  many,  or  any,  women  ! 
Ah!  No  —  no!  Pardon  me,  dearest  Majesty!  A  man's 
desire  may  lead  him  through  devious  ways  both  vile  and 
vicious,  —  but  a  man's  love  leads  only  one  way  to  one 
woman !  Believe  it !  For  even  so,  I  have  loved  one 
woman  these  many  years !  —  and  even  so  —  I  greatly  fear 

—  the  King  loves  one  woman  now !  " 

Rigid  as  a  figure  of  marble,  she  looked  at  him.  He  met 
her  eyes  calmly. 

"  Your  Majesty  asked  me  for  the  truth  ;  "  he  said  ;  '  I 
have  spoken  it !  " 

Her  lips  parted  in  a  cold,  strained  little  smile. 

"  And  —  you  —  think,"  she  said  slowly  ;    "  that  I  - 
I  am  what  you  call  '  jealous  '  of  this  '  one  woman  '  ?    Had 
jealousy  been  in  my  nature,  it  would  have  been  provoked 
sufficiently  often  since  my  marriage!  ': 

"  Madam,"  responded  Sir  Roger  humbly;  '  If  I  may 
dare  to  say  so  to  your  Majesty,  it  is  not  possible  to  a  noble 
woman  to  be  jealous  of  a  man's  mere  humours  of  desire ! 
But  of  Love  —  Love,  the  crown,  the  glory  and  supremacy 
of  life,  —  who,  with  a  human  heart  and  human  blood, 
would  not  be  jealous?  Who  would  not  give  kingdoms, 
thrones,  ay,  Heaven  itself,  if  it  were  not  in  itself  Heaven, 
for  its  rapturous  oblivion  of  sorrow,  and  its  full  measure 
of  joy!" 

A  dead  silence  fell  between  them,  only  disturbed  by  a 
small  silver  chime  in  the  distance,  striking  midnight. 

The  Queen  again  seated  herself,  and  drew  her  book 
towards  her.  Then  raising  her  lovely  unfathomable  eyes, 
she  looked  at  the  tall  stately  figure  of  the  man  before  her 
with  a  slight  touch  of  pity  and  pathos. 

"  Possibly  you  may  be  right,"  she  said  slowly,  "  Pos- 
sibly wrong!  But  I  do  not  doubt  that  you  yourself  per- 
sonally '  feel '  all  that  you  express,  —  and  —  that  you  are 
faithful !  " 

Here  she  extended  her  hand.  Sir  Roger  bowed  low 
over  it,  and  kissed  its  delicate  smoothness  with  careful 
coldness.  As  she  withdrew  it  again,  she  said  in  a  low 
dreamy,  half  questioning  tone  : 

"  The  woman's  name  is  Lotys  ?  " 


4-io  "Temporal  Power' 

Silently  Sir  Roger  bent  his  head  in  assent. 

''A  man's  love  leads  only  one  way  —  to  one  woman! 
And  in  this  particular  case  that  woman  is  —  Lotys!'' 
she  said,  with  a  little  musing  scorn,  as  of  herself,  — 
"Strange!" 

She  laid  her  hand  on  the  bell  which  at  a  touch  would 
summon  back  her  lady-in-waiting.  '  You  have  served 
me  well,  Sir  Roger,  albeit  somewhat  roughly " 

He  gave  a  low  exclamation  of  regret. 

"  Roughly,  Madam  ?  " 

A  smile,  sudden  and  sweet,  which  transfigured  her 
usually  passionless  features  into  an  almost  angelic  love- 
liness, lit  up  her  mouth  and  eyes. 

"  Yes  —  roughly !  But  no  matter !  1  pardon  you 
freely !     Good-night !  " 

"  Good-night  to  your  Majesty !  "  And  as  he  stepped 
backward  from  her  presence,  she  rang  for  Teresa,  who  at 
once  entered. 

"  Our  excommunication  from  the  Church  sits  lightly 
upon  us,  Sir  Roger,  does  it  not?"  said  the  Queen  then, 
almost  playfully ;  '  You  must  know  that  we  say  our 
prayers  as  of  old,  and  we  still  believe  God  hears  us !  " 

"  Surely,  Madam,"  he  replied,  "  God  must  hear  all 
prayers  when  they  are  pure  and  honest!  " 

'  Truly,  I  think  so,"  she  responded,  laying  one  hand 
tenderly  on  Teresa's  hair,  as  the  girl  caressingly  knelt 
beside  her.  "And  —  so,  despite  lack  of  priestcraft, — 
we  shall  continue  to  pray,  —  in  these  uncertain  and  dan- 
gerous times,  —  that  all  may  be  well  for  the  country,  — 
the  people,  and  —  the  King !     Good-night !  " 

Again  Sir  Roger  bowed,  and  this  time  altogether  with- 
drew. He  was  strung  up  to  a  pitch  of  intense  excitement ; 
the  brief  interview  had  been  a  most  trying  one  for  him,  — 
though  there  was  a  warm  glow  at  his  heart,  assuring  him 
that  he  had  done  well.  His  suspicion  that  the  King  had 
admired,  and  had  sought  out  Lotys  since  the  day  she  saved 
him  from  assassination,  had  a  very  strong  foundation  in 
fact ;  —  much  stronger  indeed  than  was  at  present  requi- 
site to  admit  or  to  declare.  But  the  whole  matter  was  a 
source  of  the  greatest  anxiety  to  De  Launay,  who,  in  his 
strong  love  for  his  Royal  master,  found  it  often  difficult 
to  conceal  his  apprehension,  —  and  who  was  in  a  large 


"One  Way,— One  Woman!"      411 

measure  relieved  to  feel  that  the  Queen  had  guessed 
something  of  it,  and  shared  in  his  sentiments.  He  now 
re-entered  his  room,  and  on  doing  so  at  once  perceived 
that  the  King  had  returned.  But  his  Majesty  was  busy 
writing,  and  did  not  raise  his  head  from  his  papers,  even 
when  Sir  Roger  noiselessly  entered  and  laid  some  letters 
on  the  table.  His  complete  abstraction  in  his  work  was  a 
sign  that  he  did  not  wish  to  be  disturbed  or  spoken  to ;  — 
and  Sir  Roger,  taking  the  hint,  retired  again  in  silence. 


CHAPTER    XXVII 

THE    SONG    OF    FREEDOM 

REVOLUTION  !  The  flame-winged  Fury  that  swoops 
t  down  on  a  people  like  a  sudden  visitation  of  God, 
with  the  movement  of  a  storm,  and  the  devastation  of 
a  plague  in  one !  Who  shall  say  how,  or  where,  the 
seed  is  sown  that  springs  so  swiftly  to  such  thick  harvest ! 
Who  can  trace  its  beginnings  —  and  who  can  predict  its 
end !  Tragic  and  terrible  as  its  work  has  always  seemed 
to  the  miserable  and  muddle-headed  human  units,  whose 
faults  and  follies,  whose  dissoluteness  and  neglect  of  the 
highest  interests  of  the  people,  are  chiefly  to  blame  for 
the  birth  of  this  Monster,  it  is  nevertheless  Divine  Law, 
that,  when  any  part  of  God's  Universe-House  is  deliber- 
ately made  foul  by  the  dwellers  in  it,  then  must  it  be 
cleansed,  —  and  Revolution  is  the  burning  of  the  rubbish, 

—  the  huge  bonfire  in  which  old  abuses  blazon  their  de- 
struction to  an  amazed  and  terror-stricken  world.  Yet 
there  have  been  moments,  or  periods,  in  history,  when  the 
threatening  conflagration  could  have  been  stayed  and 
turned  back  from  its  course,  —  when  the  useless  shedding 
of  blood  might  have  been  foregone  —  when  the  fierce 
passions  of  the  people  might  have  been  soothed  and  paci- 
fied, and  when  Justice  might  have  been  nobly  clone  and 
catastrophe  averted,  if  there  had  been  but  one  brave  man, 

—  one  only  !  —  and  that  man  a  King !  Bui  in  nearly  all 
the  convulsive  throes  of  nations,  kings  have  proved  them- 
selves the  weakest,  tamest,  most  cowardly  and  ineffectual 
of  all  the  heads  of  the  time  —  ready  and  willing  enough  to 
sacrifice  the  lives  of  thousands  of  brave  and  devoted  men 
to  their  own  cause,  but  never  prepared  to  sacrifice  them- 
selves. Hence  the  cause  of  the  triumph  of  Democracy 
over  effete  Autocracy.    Kings  may  not  be  more  than  men, 

—  but,  certes,  they  should  never  be  less.    They  should  not 
.practise  vices  of  which  the  very  day-labourer  whom  they 


The  Song  of  Freedom        413 

employ,  would  be  ashamed  ;  nor  should  they  flaunt  their 
love  of  sensuality  and  intrigue  in  the  faces  of  their  sub- 
jects as  a  '  Royal  example  '  and  distinctive  '  lead  '  to  vul- 
gar licentiousness.  The  loftier  the  position,  the  greater 
the  responsibility ; --and  a  monarch  who  voluntarily 
lowers  the  social  standard  in  his  realm  has  lost  more  ad- 
herents than  could  possibly  be  slain  in  his  defence  on  the 
field  of  honour. 

The  King  who  plays  his  part  as  the  hero  of  this  narra- 
tive, was  now  fully  aware  in  his  own  mind  and  conscience 
of  the  thousands  of  opportunities  he  had  missed  and 
wasted  on  his  way  to  the  Throne  when  Heir-Apparent. 
Since  the  day  of  his  '  real  coronation,'  when  as  he  had  ex- 
pressed it  to  his  thoughts,  he  had  '  crowned  himself  with 
his  own  resolve,'  he  had  studied  men,  manners,  persons 
and  events,  to  deep  and  serious  purpose.  He  had  learned 
much,  and  discovered  more.  He  had  been,  in  a  moral 
sense,  conquered  by  his  son,  Prince  Humphry,  who  had 
proved  a  match  for  him  in  his  determined  and  honourable 
marriage  for  love,  and  love  only,  —  though  born  heir  to 
all  the  conventions  and  hypocrisies  of  a  Throne.  He, 
—  in  his  day,  —  had  lacked  the  courage  and  truth  that  this 
boy  had  shown.  And  now,  by  certain  means  known  best 
to  himself,  he  had  fathomed  an  intricate  network  of  de- 
ception and  infamy  among  the  governing  heads  of  the 
State.  He  had  convinced  himself  in  many  ways  of  the 
unblushing  dishonesty  and  fraudulent  self-service  of  Carl 
Perousse.  And  —  yet  —  with  all  this  information  stored 
carefully  up  in  his  brain  he,  to  all  appearances,  took  no 
advantage  of  it,  and  did  nothing  remarkable,  —  save  the 
one  act  which  had  been  so  much  talked  about  —  the  re- 
fusal of  land  in  his  possession  to  the  Jesuits  for  a  '  re- 
ligious '  (and  political)  settlement.  This  independent 
course  of  procedure  had  resulted  in  his  excommunication 
from  the  Church.  Of  his  '  veto  '  against  an  intended  war, 
scarcely  anything  was  known.  Only  the  Government  were 
aware  of  the  part  he  had  taken  in  that  matter,  —  the 
Government  and  —  the  Money-market !  But  the  time 
was  now  ripe  for  further  movement ;  and  in  the  deep  and 
almost  passionate  interest  he  had  recently  learned  to  take 
in  the  affairs  of  the  actual  People,  he  was  in  no  humour 
for  hesitation. 


414  ''Temporal  Power' 

He  had  mapped  out  in  his  brain  a  certain  plan  of  action, 
and  he  was  determined  to  go  through  with  it.  The  more 
so,  as  now  a  new  and  close  interest  had  incorporated  itself 
with  his  life,  —  an  emotion  so  deep  and  tender  and  over- 
whelming, that  he  scarcely  dared  to  own  it  to  himself,  — 
scarcely  ventured  to  believe  that  he,  deprived  of  true  love 
so  long,  should  now  be  truly  loved  for  himself,  at  last ! 
But  on  this  he  seldom  allowed  his  mind  to  dwell,  —  ex- 
cept when  quite  alone,  —  in  the  deep  silences  of  night ;  — 
when  he  gave  his  soul  up  to  the  secret  sweetness  which 
had  begun  to  purify  and  ennoble  his  innermost  nature,  - 
when  he  saw  visioned  before  him  a  face,  —  warm  with 
the  passion  of  a  love  so  grand  and  unselfish  that  it  drew 
near  to  a  likeness  of  the  Divine  ;  —  a  love  that  asked  noth- 
ing, and  gave  everything,  with  the  beneficent  glory  of  the 
sunlight  bestowing  splendour  on  the  earth.  His  lonely 
moments,  which  were  few,  were  all  the  time  he  devoted 
to  this  brooding  luxury  of  meditation,  and  though  his 
heart  beat  like  a  boy's,  and  his  eyes  grew  dim  with  tender 
ness,  as  in  fancy  he  dreamed  of  joy  that  might  be,  and 
that  yet  still  more  surely  might  never  be  his,  —  his  deter- 
mined mind,  braced  and  bent  to  action,  never  faltered  for 
a  second  in  the  new  conceptions  he  had  formed  of  his  duty 
to  his  people,  who,  as  he  now  considered,  had  been  too 
long  and  too  cruelly  deceived. 

Hence,  something  like  an  earthquake  shock  sent  its 
tremor  through  the  country,  when  two  things  were  sud- 
denly announced  without  warning,  as  the  apparent  results 
of  the  various  Cabinet  Councils  held  latterly  so  often,  and 
in  such  haste.  The  first  was,  that  not  only  had  his  Majesty 
accepted  the  resignation  of  the  Marquis  de  Lutera  as  Pre- 
mier, but  that  he  had  decided  —  provided  the  selection 
was  entirely  agreeable  to  the  Government  —  to  ask  M. 
Carl  Perousse  to  form  a  Ministry  in  his  place.  The  second 
piece  of  intelligence,  and  one  that  was  received  with  much 
more  favour  than  the  first,  by  all  classes  and  conditions  of 
persons,  was  that  the  Government  had  issued  a  decree 
for  the  complete  expulsion  of  the  Jesuits  from  the  country. 
By  a  certain  named  date,  and  within  a  month,  every  Jesuit 
must  have  left  the  King's  dominions,  or  else  must  take 
the  risk  of  a  year's  imprisonment  followed  by  compulsory 
banishment. 


The  Song  of  Freedom       415 

Much  uproar  and  discussion  did  this  mandate  excite 
among  the  clerical  parties  of  Europe,  —  much  indignation 
did  it  breed  within  that  Holy  of  Holies  situate  at  the 
Vatican,  —  which,  having  launched  forth  the  ban  of  ex- 
communication, had  no  further  thunderbolts  left  to  throw 
at  the  head  of  the  recreant  and  abandoned  Royalty  whose 
'  temporal  power  '  so  insolently  superseded  the  spiritual. 
But  the  country  breathed  freely ;  relieved  from  a  danger- 
ous and  mischievous  incubus.  The  educational  author- 
ities gave  fervent  thanks  to  Heaven  for  sparing  them 
from  long  dreaded  interference ;  —  and  when  it  was 
known  that  the  excommunicated  King  was  the  chief 
mover  in  this  firm  and  liberating  act,  a  silent  wave  of  pas- 
sionate gratitude  and  approval  ran  through  the  multi- 
tudes of  the  people,  who  would  almost  have  assembled 
under  the  Palace  walls  and  offered  a  grand  demonstra- 
tion to  their  monarch,  who  had  so  boldly  carried  the  war 
into  the  enemy's  country  and  won  the  victory,  had  they 
not  been  held  back  and  checked  from  their  purpose  by  the 
counter-feeling  of  their  disgust  at  his  Majesty's  appar- 
ently forthcoming  choice  of  Carl  Perousse  as  Prime 
Minister. 

Swayed  this  way  and  that,  the  people  were  divided 
more  absolutely  than  before  into  those  two  sections  which 
always  become  very  dangerous  when  strongly  marked 
out  as  distinctly  separated,  —  the  Classes  and  the  Masses. 
The  comfortable  wedge  of  Trade,  which,  —  calling  itself 
the  Middle-class,  —  had  up  to  the  present  kept  things 
firm,  now  split  asunder  likewise,  —  the  wealthy  pluto- 
crats clinging  willy-nilly  to  the  Classes,  to  whom  they 
did  not  legitimately  belong ;  and  the  men  of  moderate 
income  throwing  in  their  lot  with  the  Masses,  whose 
wrongs  they  sympathetically  felt  somewhat  resembled 
their  own.  For  taxation  had  ground  them  down  to  that 
particularly  fine  powder,  which  when  applied  to  the  rocks 
of  convention  and  usage,  proves  to  be  of  a  somewhat 
blasting  quality.  They  had  paid  as  much  on  their  earn- 
ings and  their  goods  as  they  could  or  would  pay  ;  —  more 
indeed  than  they  had  any  reasonable  right  to  pay,  —  and 
being  sick  of  Government  mismanagement,  and  also  of 
what  they  still  regarded  as  the  King's  indifference  to 
their  needs,  they  were  prepared  to  make  a  dash  for  liberty. 


41 6  "Temporal  Power' 

The  expulsion  of  the  Jesuits  they  naturally  looked  upon 
as  a  suitable  retaliation  on  Rome  for  the  excommunica- 
tion of  the  Royal  Family ;  but  beyond  the  intense  relief 
it  gave  to  all,  it  could  not  be  considered  as  affecting  or 
materially  altering  the  political  situation.  So,  like  the 
dividing  waves  of  the  Red  Sea,  which  rolled  up  on  either 
side  to  permit  the  passage  of  Moses  and  his  followers  — 
the  Classes  and  the  Masses  piled  themselves  up  in  oppo- 
site billowy  sections  to  allow  Sergius  Thord  and  the  Rev- 
olutionary party  to  pass  triumphantly  through  their  midst, 
adding  thousands  of  adherents  to  their  forces  from  both 
sides ;  —  while  they  were  prepared  to  let  the  full  weight 
of  the  billows  engulf  the  King,  if,  like  Pharaoh  and  his 
chariots,  he  assumed  too  much,  or  proceeded  too  far. 

Professor  von  Glauben,  seated  in  his  own  sanctum,  and 
engaged  in  the  continuance  of  his  "  Political  History  of 
Hunger,"  found  many  points  in  the  immediate  situation 
which  considerably  interested  him  and  moved  him  to 
philosophical  meditation. 

"  For,  —  take  the  feeling  of  the  People  as  it  now  is,"  he 
said  to  himself ;  '  It  starts  in  Hunger !  The  taxes,  — 
the  uncomfortable  visit  of  the  tax-gatherer !  The  price  of 
the  loaf,  —  concerning  which  the  baker,  or  the  baker-ess, 
politely  tells  the  customer  that  it  is  costly,  because  of  the 
Government  tax  on  corn  ;  then  from  the  bread,  it  is  mar- 
vellous how  the  little  clue  winds  upward  through  the 
spider-webs  of  Trade.  The  butcher's  meat  is  dearer,  — 
for  says  he  — '  The  tax  on  corn  makes  it  necessary  for  me 
to  increase  the  price  of  meat.'  There  is  no  logical  reason 
given,  —  the  fact  simply  is!  So  that  Hunger  commences 
the  warfare,  —  Hunger  of  Soul,  as  well  as  Hunger  of 
body.  '  Why  starve  my  thought  ?  '  says  Soul.  '  Why  tax 
my  bread  ? '  says  Body.  These  tiresome  questions  con- 
tinue to  be  asked,  and  never  answered,  —  but  answers 
are  clamoured  for,  and  the  people  complain  —  and  then 
one  fierce  day  the  gods  hear  them  grumble,  and  begin  to 
grumble  back !  Ach !  Then  it  is  thunder  with  a  ven- 
geance !  Now  in  my  own  so-beloved  Fatherland,  there 
has  been  this  double  grumbling  for  a  long  time.  And  that 
the  storm  will  burst,  in  spite  of  the  so-excellently-adver- 
tising Kaiser  is  evident!  Hoch  !  —  or  Ach?  Which 
should  it  be  to  salute  the  Kaiser !     I  know  not  at  all,  — 


The  Song  of  Freedom       417 

but  I  admit  it  is  clever  of  him  to  put  up  a  special  Hoard- 
ing-announcement for  the  private  view  of  the  Almighty 
God,  each  time  he  addresses  his  troops !  And  he  will 
come  in  for  a  chapter  of  my  history  —  for  he  also  is 
Hungry !  —  he  would  fain  eat  a  little  of  the  loaf  of 
Britain  !  —  yes  !  —  he  will  fit  into  my  work  very  well  for 
the  instruction  of  the  helpless  unborn  generations !  " 

He  wrote  on  for  a  while,  and  then  laid  down  his  pen. 
His  eyes  grew  dreamy,  and  his  rough  features  softened. 

"  What  has  become  of  the  child,  I  wonder !  "  he  mused  ; 
'  Where  has  she  gone,  the  '  Glory-of-the-Sea  ' !  I  would 
give  all  I  have  to  look  upon  her  beautiful  face  again ;  — 
and  Ronsard  —  he,  poor  soul  —  silent  as  a  stone,  weaken- 
ing day  after  day  in  the  grasp  of  relentless  age,  —  would 
die  happy,  —  if  I  would  let  him !  But  I  do  not  intend  to 
give  him  that  satisfaction.  He  shall  live !  As  I  often  tell 
him,  my  science  is  of  no  avail  if  I  cannot  keep  a  man 
going,  till  at  least  a  hundred  and  odd  years  are  past. 
Barring  accidents,  or  self-slaughter,  of  course !  "  Here 
he  became  somewhat  abstracted  in  his  meditations.  '  The 
old  fellow  is  brave  enough,  —  brave  as  a  lion,  and  strong 
too  for  his  years ;  —  I  have  seen  him  handle  a  pair  of  oars 
and  take  down  a  sail  as  I  could  never  do  it,  —  and  —  he 
has  accepted  a  strange  and  difficult  situation  heroically. 
'  You  must  not  be  involved  in  any  trouble  by  a  knowledge 
of  our  movements.'  So  Prince  Humphry  said,  when  I 
saw  him  last,  —  though  I  did  not  then  understand  the 
real  drift  of  his  meaning.  And  time  goes  on  —  and  time 
seems  wearisome  without  any  tidings  of  those  we  love !  " 

A  tap  at  the  door  disturbed  his  mental  soliloquy,  and  in 
answer  to  his  '  Come  in,'  Sir  Roger  de  Launay  entered. 

"  Sorry  to  interrupt  work,  Professor!  "  he  said  briefly; 
"  The  King  goes  to  the  Opera  this  evening,  and  desires 
you  to  be  of  the  party." 

"  Good !  I  shall  obey  with  more  pleasure  than  I  have 
obeyed  some  of  his  Majesty's  recent  instructions!  '  And 
the  Professor  pushed  aside  his  manuscript  to  look  through 
his  spectacled  eyes  at  the  tall  equerry's  handsome  face 
and  figure.  "You  have  a  healthy  appearance,  Roger! 
Your  complexion  speaks  of  an  admirable  digestion !  ': 

De  Launay  smiled. 

"  You  think  so?    Well !    Your  professional  approval  is 

27 


41  8  "Temporal  Power' 

worth  having!  "  He  paused,  then  went  on ;  '  The  party 
will  be  a  pleasant  one  to-night.  The  King  is  in  high 
spirits." 

"  Ah !  "  And  Von  Glauben's  monosyllable  spoke 
volumes. 

"  Perhaps  he  ought  not  to  be?"  suggested  Sir  Roger 
with  a  slight  touch  of  anxiety. 

"  I  do  not  know  —  I  cannot  tell !  This  is  the  way  of  it, 
Roger  —  see !  "  And  taking  off  his  spectacles,  he  pol- 
ished them  with  due  solemnity.  "  If  I  were  a  King,  and 
ruled  over  a  country  swarming  with  dissatisfied  subjects, 
—  if  I  had  a  fox  for  a  Premier,  —  and  was  in  love  with 
a  woman  who  could  not  possibly  be  my  wife,  —  I  should 
not  be  in  high  spirits !  " 

"  Nor  I !  "  said  De  Launay  curtly.  "  But  the  fox  is  not 
Premier  yet.    Do  you  think  he  ever  will  be?  " 

Von  Glauben  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  He  is  bound  to  be,  I  presume.  What  else  remains  to 
do  ?    Upset  everything  ?    Government,  deputies  and  all  ?  " 

"  Just  that !  "  responded  Sir  Roger.  '  The  People  will 
do  it,  if  the  King  does  not." 

"  The  King  will  do  anything  he  is  asked  to  do  — 
now  —  "  said  the  Professor  significantly ;  '  If  the  right 
person  asks  him!  " 

"  You  forget  —  she  does  not  know "  Here  check- 
ing himself  abruptly,  Sir  Roger  walked  to  the  window 
and  looked  out.  It  was  a  fair  and  peaceful  afternoon,  — 
the  ocean  heaved  placidly,  covered  with  innumerable 
wavelets,  over  which  the  seabirds  flew  and  darted,  their 
wings  shining  like  silver  and  diamonds  as  they  dipped  and 
circled  up  and  down  and  round  the  edges  of  the  rocky 
coast.  Far  off,  a  faint  rim  of  amethyst  under  a  slowly 
sailing  white  cloud  could  be  recognized  as  the  first  line 
of  the  shore  of  The  Islands. 

'  Do  you  ever  go  and  see  the  beautiful  '  Gloria  '  girl 
now?  "  asked  Sir  Roger  suddenly.  "  The  King  has  never 
mentioned  her  since  the  day  we  saw  her.  And  you  have 
never  explained  the  mystery  of  your  acquaintance  with 
her,  —  nor  whether  it  is  true  that  Prince  Humphry  was 
specially  attracted  by  her.     I  shrewdly  suspect " 

"What?" 

"  That  he  has  been  sent  off,  out  of  harm's  way !  " 


The  Song  of  Freedom       419 

"  You  are  right,"  said  the  Professor  gravely ;  ' '  That  is 
exactly  the  position !  He  has  been  sent  off  out  of  harm's 
way! 

"I  heard,"  went  on  De  Launay,  "that  the  girl  —  or 
some  girl  of  remarkable  beauty  had  been  seen  here  —  ac- 
tually here  in  the  Palace  -  -  before  the  Prince  left !  And 
such  an  odd  way  he  left,  too  —  scuttling  off  in  his  own 
yacht  without  —  so  far  as  I  have  ever  heard  —  any  fare- 
wells, or  preparation,  or  suitable  companions  to  go  with 
him.    Still  one  hears  such  extraordinary  stories " 

"True!  —  one  does!"  agreed  the  Professor;  "And 
after  proper  experience,  one  hears  without  listening !  " 

De  Launay  looked  at  him  curiously. 

"  The  girl  was  certainly  beautiful,"  he  proceeded  medi- 
tatively ;  "  And  her  adopted  father,  —  Rene  Ronsard,  — 
was  not  that  his  name  ?  —  was  a  quaint  old  fellow.  A 
republican,  too !  —  fiery  as  a  new  Danton  !  Well !  The 
King's  curiosity  is  apparently  satisfied  on  that  score,  — 
but  "  —  here  he  began  to  laugh  —  "I  shall  never  forget 
your  face.  Von  Glauben,  when  he  caught  you  on  The 
Islands  that  day !  —  never !  Like  an  overgrown  boy,  dis- 
covered with  his  fingers  in  a  jam-pot!  " 

'  Thank  you !  "  said  the  Professor  imperturbably ;  '  I 
can  assure  you  that  the  jam  was  excellent  —  and  that  I 
still  remember  its  flavour !  " 

Sir  Roger  laughed  again,  but  with  great  good-humour, 
—  then  he  became  suddenly  serious. 

"  The  King  goes  out  alone  very  often  now?  "  he  said. 

"  Very  often,"  assented  the  Professor. 

"  Are  we  right  in  allowing  him  to  do  so?  " 

"  Allowing  him  !    Who  is  to  forbid  him  ?  " 

"  Is  he  safe,  do  you  think?  " 

'  Safer,  it  would  seem,  my  friend,  than  when  laying  a 
foundation-stone,  with  ourselves  and  all  his  suite  around 
him!  "  responded  the  Professor.  '  Besides,  it  is  too  late 
now  to  count  the  possible  risks  of  the  adventure  he  has 
entered  upon.  He  knows  the  position,  and  estimates  the 
cost  at  its  correct  value.  He  has  made  himself  the  ruler 
of  his  own  destiny  ;  we  are  only  his  servants.  Personally, 
I  have  no  fear,  —  save  of  one  fatality." 

"And  that?" 

"  Is  what  kills  many  strong  men  off  in  their  middle- 


4-2o  Temporal  Power 


9» 


age,"  said  Von  Glauben ;  "  A  disease  for  which  there  is 
no  possible  cure  at  that  special  time  of  life,  —  Love !  The 
love  of  boys  is  like  a  taste  for  green  gooseberries,  —  it 
soon  passes,  leaving  a  disordered  stomach  and  a  general 
disrelish  for  acid  fruit  ever  afterwards  ;  —  the  love  of  the 
man-about-town  between  the  twenties  and  thirties  is  the 
love  of  self ;  —  but  the  love  of  a  Man,  after  the  Self-and- 
Clothes  Period  has  passed,  is  the  love  of  the  full-grown 
human  creature  clamouring  for  its  mate,  —  its  mate  in 
Soul  even  more  than  in  Body.  There  is  no  gainsaying  it 
—  no  checking  it  —  no  pacifying  it;  it  is  a  most  disas- 
trous business,  provocative  of  all  manner  of  evils,  —  and 
to  a  king  who  has  always  been  accustomed  to  have  his 
own  way,  it  means  Victory  or  Death !  '* 

Sir  Roger  gazed  at  him  perplexedly,  —  his  tone  was  so 
solemn  and  full  of  earnest  meaning. 

'  You,  for  example,"  continued  the  Professor  dicta- 
toriallv,  fixing  his  keen  piercing  eyes  full  upon  him ; 
'You  are  a  curious  subject,  —  a  very  curious  subject! 
You  live  on  a  Dream  ;  it  is  a  good  life  —  an  excellent 
life !  It  has  the  advantage,  your  Dream,  of  never  becom- 
ing a  reality,  —  therefore  you  will  always  love,  —  and 
while  you  always  love,  you  will  always  keep  young. 
Your  lot  is  an  exceedingly  enviable  one,  my  friend!  You 
need  not  frown,  —  I  am  old  enough  —  and  let  us  hope 
wise  enough  —  to  guess  your  secret  —  to  admire  it  from 
a  purely  philosophic  point  of  view  —  and  to  respect  it !  " 

Sir  Roger  held  his  peace. 

'  But,"  continued  the  Professor,  "  His  Majesty  is  not 
the  manner  of  man  who  would  consent  to  subsist,  like  you, 
on  an  idle  phantasy.  If  he  loves  —  he  must  possess  ;  it  is 
the  regal  way !  " 

"He  will  never  succeed  in  the  direction  you  mean!" 
said  Sir  Roger  emphatically. 

'  Never !  "  agreed  Von  Glauben  with  a  profound  shake 
of  his  head ;  "'  Strange  as  it  may  seem,  his  case  is  quite  as 
hopeless  as  yours  !  " 

The  door  opened  and  closed  abruptly,  —  and  there  fol- 
lowed silence.  Von  Glauben  looked  up  to  find  himself 
alone.    He  smiled  tolerantly. 

'  Poor  Roger!  "  he  murmured ;  "  He  lives  the  life  of  a 
martyr  by  choice !    Some  men  do  —  and  like  it !     They 


The  Song  of  Freedom       42  1 

need  not  do  it ;  —  there  is  not  the  least  necessity  in  the 
world  for  their  deliberately  sticking  a  knife  into  their 
hearts  and  walking  about  with  it  in  a  kind  of  idiot  rap- 
ture. It  must  hurt ;  —  but  they  seem  to  enjoy  it !  Just 
as  some  women  become  nuns,  and  flagellate  themselves, 

—  and  then  when  they  are  writhing  from  their  own  self- 
inflicted  stripes,  they  dream  they  are  the  '  brides  of  Christ,' 
entirely  forgetting  the  extremely  irreligious  fact  that  to 
have  so  many  '  bri'des,'  the  good  Christ  Himself  might 
possibly  be  troubled,  and  would  surely  occupy  an  incon- 
venient position,  even  in  Heaven  !  Each  man,  —  each 
woman,  —  makes  for  himself  or  herself  a  little  groove  or 
pet  sorrow,  in  which  to  trot  round  and  round  and  bemoan 
life ;  the  secret  of  the  whole  bemoaning  being  that  he  or 
she  cannot  have  precisely  the  thing  he  or  she  wants.  That 
is  all !     Such  a  trifle !     Church,  State,  Prayer  and  Power 

—  it  can  all  be  summed  up  in  one  line  — '  I  have  not  the 
thing  I  want  —  give  it  to  me !  '  " 

He  resumed  his  writing,  and  did  not  interrupt  it  again 
till  it  was  time  to  join  the  Royal  party  at  the  Opera. 

That  evening  was  one  destined  to  be  long  remembered 
in  the  annals  of  the  kingdom.  The  beautiful  Opera- 
house,  a  marvel  of  art  and  architecture,  was  brilliantly 
full ;  all  the  fairest  women  and  most  distinguished  men 
occupying  the  boxes  and  stalls,  while  round  and  round,  in 
a  seemingly  never-ending  galaxy  of  faces,  and  crowded 
in  the  tiers  of  balconies  above,  a  mixed  audience  had  gath- 
ered, made  up  of  various  sections  of  the  populace  which 
filled  the  space  well  up  to  the  furthest  galleries.  The 
attraction  that  had  drawn  so  large  an  audience  together 
was  not  contained  in  the  magnetic  personality  of  either 
the  King  or  Queen,  for  those  exalted  individuals  had  only 
announced  their  intention  of  being  present  just  two  hours 
before  the  curtain  rose.  Moreover,  when  their  Majesties 
entered  the  Royal  box,  accompanied  by  their  two  younger 
sons,  Rupert  and  Cyprian,  and  attended  by  their  personal 
suite,  their  appearance  created  very  little  sensation.  The 
fact  that  it  was  the  first  time  the  King  had  showed  himself 
openly  in  public  since  his  excommunication  from  the 
Church,  caused  perhaps  a  couple  of  hundred  persons  to 
raise  their  eyes  inquisitively  towards  him  in  a  kind  of  half- 
fnorbid,  half-languid  curiosity,  but  in  these  days  the  sen- 


422  "Temporal  Power' 

timent  of  Self  is  so  strong,  that  it  is  only  a  minority  of 
more  thoughtful  individuals  that  ever  trouble  themselves 
seriously  to  consider  the  annoyances  or  griefs  which 
their  fellow-mortals  have  to  endure,  often  alone  and 
undefended. 

The  interest  of  the  public  on  this  particular  occasion 
was  centred  in  the  new  Opera,  which  had  only  been  given 
three  times  before,  and  in  which  the  little  dancer,  Pequita, 
played  the  part  of  a  child-heroine.  The  libretto  was  the 
work  of  Paul  Zouche,  and  the  music  by  one  of  the  greatest 
violinists  in  the  world,  Louis  Valdor.  The  plot  was  slight 
enough ;  —  yet,  described  in  exquisite  verse,  and  scat- 
tered throughout  with  the  daintiest  songs  and  dances,  it 
merited  a  considerably  higher  place  in  musical  records 
than  such  works  as  Meyerbeer's  "  Dinorah,"  or  Verdi's 
"  Rigoletto."  The  thread  on  which  the  pearls  of  poesy 
and  harmony  were  strung,  was  the  story  of  a  wandering 
fiddler,  who,  accompanied  by  his  only  child  (the  part 
played  by  Pequita),  travels  from  city  to  city  earning  a 
scant  livelihood  by  his  own  playing  and  his  daughter's 
dancing.  Chance  or  fate  leads  them  to  throw  in  their 
fortunes  with  a  band  of  enthusiastic  adventurers,  who, 
headed  by  a  young  hare-brained  patriot,  elected  as  their 
leader,  have  determined  to  storm  the  Vatican,  and  de- 
mand the  person  of  the  Pope,  that  they  may  convey  him 
to  America,  there  to  convene  an  assemblage  of  all  true 
Christians  (or  '  New  Christians  '),  and  found  a  new  and 
more  Christ-like  Church.  Their  expedition  fails,  —  as 
naturally  so  wild  a  scheme  would  be  bound  to  do,  —  but 
though  they  cannot  succeed  in  capturing  the  Pope,  they 
secure  a  large  following  of  the  Italian  populace,  who  join 
with  them  in  singing  "  The  Song  of  Freedom,"  which, 
with  Paul  Zouche's  words,  and  Valdor's  music  was  the 
great  chef  d'cewvre  of  the  Opera,  rousing  the  listeners  to 
a  pitch  of  something  like  frenzy.  In  this,  —  the  last 
great  scene,  —  Pequita,  dancing  the  '  Dagger  Dance,'  is 
supposed  to  infect  the  people  with  that  fervour  which 
moves  them  to  sing  ' '  The  Freedom  Chorus,"  and  the 
curtain  comes  down  upon  a  brilliant  stage,  crowded  with 
enthusiasts  and  patriots,  ready  to  fight  and  die  for  the 
glory  of  their  country.  A  love-interest  is  given  to  the 
piece  by  the  passion  of  the  wandering  fiddler-hero  for  cf 


The  Song  of  Freedom        423 

girl  whose  wealth  places  her  above  his  reach ;  and  who  in 
the  end  sacrifices  all  worldly  advantage  that  she  may 
share  his  uncertain  fortunes  for  love's  sake  only. 

Such  was  the  story,  —  which,  wedded  to  wild  and  pas- 
sionate music,  had  taken  the  public  by  storm  on  its  first 
representation,  not  only  on  account  of  its  own  merit,  but 
because  it  gave  their  new  favourite,  .Pequita,  many  oppor- 
tunities for  showing  off  her  exquisite  grace  as  a  dancer. 
She,  while  preparing  for  the  stage  on  this  special  night, 
had  been  told  that  her  wish  was  about  to  be  granted  — 
that  she  would  now,  at  last,  really  dance  before  the  King ; 
—  and  her  heart  beat  high,  and  the  rich  colour  reddened 
in  her  soft  childish  face,  as  she  donned  her  scarlet  skirts 
with  more  than  her  usual  care,  and  knotted  back  her  raven 
curls  with  a  great  glowing  damask  rose,  such  as  Spanish 
beauties  fasten  behind  tiny  shell-like  ears  to  emphasise 
the  perfection  of  their  contour.  Her  thoughts  flew  to  her 
kindest  friend,  Pasquin  Leroy ;  —  she  remembered  the 
starry  diamond  in  the  ring  he  had  wished  to  give  her,  and 
how  he  had  said,  '  Pequita,  the  first  time  you  dance  before 
the  King,  this  shall  be  yours !  ' 

Where  was  he  now,  she  wondered?  She  would  have 
given  anything  to  know  his  place  of  abode,  just  to  send 
him  word  that  the  King  was  to  be  at  the  Opera  that  night, 
and  ask  him  too,  to  come  and  see  her  in  her  triumph  !  But 
she  had  no  time  to  study  ways  and  means  for  sending  a 
message  to  him,  either  through  Sholto,  her  father,  who 
always  waited  patiently  for  her  behind  the  scenes,  —  or 
through  Paul  Zouche,  who,  though  as  librettist  of  the 
opera,  and  as  a  poet  of  new  and  rising  fame,  was  treated 
by  everyone  with  the  greatest  deference,  still  made  a 
special  point  of  appearing  in  the  shabbiest  clothes,  and 
lounging  near  the  side-wings  like  a  sort  of  disgraced 
tramp  all  the  time  the  performance  was  in  progress. 
Neither  of  them  knew  Leroy 's  address  ;  —  they  only  met 
him  or  saw  him,  when  he  himself  chose  to  come  among 
them.  Besides, — the  sound  of  the  National  Hymn  played 
by  the  orchestra,  warned  her  that  the  King  had  arrived ; 
and  that  she  must  hold  herself  in  readiness  for  her  part 
and  think  of  nothing  else. 

The  blaze  of  light  in  the  Opera-house  seemed  more 
dazzling  than  usual  to  the  child,  when  her  cue  was  called, 


424  "Temporal  Power' 

—  and  as  she  sprang  from  the  wings  and  bounded  towards 
the  footlights,  amid  the  loud  roar  of  applause  which  she 
was  now  accustomed  to  receive  nightly,  she  raised  her 
eyes  towards  the  Royal  box,  half-frightened,  half-expec- 
tant. Her  heart  sank  as  she  saw  that  the  King  had  par- 
tially turned  away  from  the  stage,  and  was  chatting 
carelessly  with  some  person  or  persons  behind  him,  and 
that  only  a  statuesque  woman  with  a  pale  face,  great  eyes, 
and  a  crown  of  diamonds,  regarded  her  steadily  with  a 
high-bred  air  of  chill  indifference,  which  was  sufficient 
to  turn  the  little  warm  beating  heart  of  her  into  stone.  A 
handsome  youth  stared  down  upon  her  smiling,  —  his 
eyes  sleepily  amorous,  —  it  was  the  elder  of  the  King's 
two  younger  sons,  Prince  Rupert.  She  hated  his  expres- 
sion, beautiful  though  his  features  were,  —  and  hated 
herself  for  having  to  dance  before  him.  Poor  little 
Pequita!  It  was  her  first  experience  of  the  insult  a  girl- 
child  can  be  made  to  feel  through  the  look  of  a  budding 
young  profligate.  On  and  on  she  danced,  giddily  whirl- 
ing ;  —  the  thoughts  in  her  brain  circling  as  rapidly  as 
her  movements.  Why  would  not  the  King  look  at  her,  — 
she  thought?  Why  was  he  so  indifferent,  even  when  his 
subjects  sought  most  to  please  him?  At  the  end  of  the 
second  act  of  the  Opera  a  great  fatigue  and  lassitude 
overcame  her,  and  a  look  of  black  resentment  clouded  her 
pretty  face. 

"  What  ails  you  ?  "  said  Zouche,  sauntering  up  to  her  as 
she  stood  behind  the  wings ;  '  You  look  like  a  small 
thunder-cloud !  " 

She  gave  an  unmistakable  gesture  in  the  direction  of 
that  quarter  of  the  theatre  where  the  Royal  box  was 
situated. 

"  I  hate  him !  '"  she  said,  with  a  stamp  of  her  little 
foot. 

"The  King?  So  do  I!'  And  Zouche  lit  a  cigarette 
and  stuck  it  between  his  lips  by  way  of  a  stop-gap  to  a 
threatening  violent  expletive ;  "  An  insolent,  pampered, 
flattered  fool !  Yet  you  wanted  to  dance  before  him ; 
and  now  you  've  done  it !  The  fact  will  serve  you  as  a 
kind  of  advertisement !    That  is  all !  " 

"  I  do  not  want  to  be  advertised  through  his  favour !  ,; 
And  Pequita  closed  her  tiny  teeth  on  her  scarlet  under-lip 


The  Song  of  Freedom        425 

in  suppressed  anger ;  "  Rut  I  have  not  danced  before  him 
yet!     I  will!  " 

Zouche  looked  at  her  sleepily.     He  was  not  drunk  - 
though  he  had,  —  of  course,  —  been  drinking. 

"  You  have  not  danced  before  him  ?  Then  what  have 
you  been  doing  ?  " 

"Walking!"  answered  Pequita,  with  a  fierce  little 
laugh,  her  colour  coming  and  going  with  all  the  quick- 
wavering  hue  of  irritated  and  irritable  Spanish  blood,  "  I 
have,  as  they  say  '  walked  across  the  stage.'  I  shall  dance 
presently !  " 

He  smiled,  flicking  a  little  ash  off  his  cigarette. 

"  You  are  a  curious  child !  "  he  said  ;  '  By  and  by  you 
will  want  severely  keeping  in  order !  " 

Pequita  laughed  again,  and  shook  back  her  long  curls 
defiantly. 

"  Who  is  that  cold  woman  with  a  face  like  a  mask  and 
the  crown  of  diamonds,  that  sits  beside  the  King?  " 

It  was  Zouche's  turn  to  laugh  now,  and  he  did  so  with 
a  keen  sense  of  enjoyment. 

"  Upon  my  word !  "  he  exclaimed  ;  "  A  little  experience 
of  the  world  has  given  you  what  newspaper  men  call 
'  local  colour.'  The  '  cold  woman  with  the  face  like  a 
mask,'  is  the  Queen !  " 

Pequita  made  a  little  grimace  of  scorn. 

"  And  who  is  the  leering  boy?  " 

"  Prince  Rupert." 

"  The  Crown  Prince?  " 

"  No.  The  Crown  Prince  is  travelling  abroad.  He 
went  away  very  mysteriously,  —  no  one  knows  where  he 
has  gone,  or  when  he  will  come  back." 

"I  am  not  surprised!"  said  Pequita;  '  With  such  a 
father  and  mother,  and  such  impudent-looking  brothers, 
no  wonder  he  wanted  to  get  away !  " 

Zouche  had  another  fit  of  laughter.  He  had  never  seen 
the  little  girl  in  such  a  temper.  He  tried  to  assume 
gravity. 

"  Pequita,  you  are  naughty !  The  flatteries  of  the  great 
world  are  spoiling  you  !  " 

"  Bah !  "  said  Pequita,  with  a  contemptuous  wave  of 
her  small  brown  hands.  "  The  flatteries  of  the  great 
world  !  -To  what  do  they  lead?    To  that?  "  and  she  made 


426 


'Temporal  Power' 


another  eloquent  sign  towards  the  Royal  box ;  —  "I 
would  rather  dance  for  you  and  Lotys,  and  Sergius 
Thord,  and  Pasquin  Leroy,  than  all  the  Kings  of  the 
world  together!     What  I  do  here  is  for  my  father's  sake 

—  you  know  that !  " 

"  I  know !  "  and  Zouche  smoked  on,  and  shook  his  wild 
head  sentimentally,  —  murmuring  in  a  sotto-voce: 

"  What  I  do  here,  is  for  the  need  of  gold, — 

What  I  do  there,  is  for  sweet  love's  sake  only ; 
Love,  ever  timid  there,  doth  here  grow  bold,  — 
And  wins  such  triumph  as  but  leaves  me  lonely  !  " 

'  Is  that  yours?  "  said  Pequita  with  a  sudden  smile. 

'  Mine,  or  Shakespeare's,"  answered  Zouche  indolently ; 
"  Does  it  matter  which  ?  " 

Pequita  laughed,  and  her  cue  being  just  then  called, 
again  she  bounded  on  to  the  stage ;  but  this  time  she 
played  her  part,  as  the  stock  phrase  goes,  '  to  the  gallery,' 
and  did  not  once  turn  her  eyes  towards  the  place  where  the 
King  sat  withdrawn  into  the  shadow  of  his  box,  giving  no 
sign  of  applause.  She,  however,  had  caught  sight  of 
Sergius  Thord  and  some  of  her  Revolutionary  friends 
seated  '  among  the  gods,'  and  that  was  enough  inspiration 
for   her.      Something,  —  a   quite   indefinable    something, 

—  a  touch  of  personal  or  spiritual  magnetism,  had  been 
fired  in  her  young  soul ;  and  gradually  as  the  Opera  went 
on,  her  fellow-players  became  infected  by  it.  Some  of 
them  gave  her  odd,  half-laughing  glances  now  and  then, 

—  being  more  or  less  amazed  at  the  unusual  vigour  with 
which  she  sang,  in  her  pure  childish  soprano,  the  few 
strophes  of  recitative  and  light  song  attached  to  her  part ; 

—  the  very  prima-donna  herself  caught  fire,  —  and  the 
distinguished  tenor,  who  had  travelled  all  the  way  from 
Buda  Pesth  in  haste,  so  that  he  might  '  create  '  the  chief 
role  in  the  work  of  his  friend  Valdor,  began  to  feel  that 
there  was  something  more  in  operatic  singing  than  the 
mere  inflation  of  the  chest,  and  the  careful  production  of 
perfectly-rounded  notes.  Valdor  himself  played  the 
various  violin  solos  which  occurred  frequently  throughout 
the  piece,  and  never  failed  to  evoke  a  storm  of  rapturous 
plaudits,  —  and  many  were  the  half-indignant  glances  of 
the  audience  towards  the  Royal  shrine  of  draped  satin, 


The  Song  of  Freedom       427 

gilding,  and  electric  light,  wherein  the  King,  like  an  idol, 
sat,  —  undemonstrative,  and  apparently  more  bored  than 
satisfied.  There  was  a  general  feeling  that  he  ought  to 
have  shown,  —  by  his  personal  applause  in  public, —  a 
proper  appreciation  of  the  many  gifted  artists  playing 
that  evening,  especially  in  the  case  of  Louis  Valdor,  the 
composer  of  the  Opera  itself.  But  he  sat  inert,  only  occa- 
sionally glancing  at  the  stage,  and  anon  carelessly  turning 
away  from  it  to  converse  with  the  members  of  his  suite. 

The  piece  went  on ;  —  and  more  and  more  the  passion 
of  Pequita's  pent-up  little  soul  communicated  itself  to  the 
other  performers,  —  till  they  found  themselves  almost 
unconsciously  obeying  her  '  lead.'  At  last  came  the  grand 
final  act,  —  where,  in  accordance  with  the  progress  of  the 
story,  the  bold  band  of  '  New  Christians  '  are  fought  back 
from  the  gates  of  the  Vatican  by  the  Papal  Guard;  and 
the  Roman  populace,  roused  to  enthusiasm,  gather  round 
their  defeated  ranks  to  defend  and  to  aid  them  with  sym- 
pathy and  support  in  their  combat,  —  breaking  forth  all 
together  at  last  in  the  triumphant  '  Song  of  Freedom.' 
Truly  grand  and  majestic  was  this  same  song,  —  pulsat- 
ing with  truth  and  passion,  —  breathing  with  the  very 
essence  of  liberty,  —  an  echo  of  the  heart  and  soul  of 
strong  nations  who  struggle,  even  unto  death,  for  the 
lawful  rights  of  humanity  denied  to  them  by  the  tyrants 
in  place  and  power.  As  the  superb  roll  and  swell  of  the 
glorious  music  poured  through  the  crowded  house,  there 
was  an  almost  unconscious  movement  among  the  audi- 
ence, —  the  people  in  the  gallery  rose  en  masse,  and  at  the 
close  of  the  first  verse,  responded  to  it  by  a  mighty  cheer, 
which  reverberated  through  and  through  the  immense 
building  like  thunder.  The  occupants  of  the  stalls  and 
boxes  exchanged  wondering  and  half-frightened  looks,  — 
then  as  the  cheer  subsided,  settled  themselves  again  to 
listen,  more  or  less  spell-bound,  as  the  second  verse  began. 
Just  before  this  had  merged  into  its  accompanying  splen- 
did and  soul-awakening  chorus,  —  Pequita,  —  having 
obtained  the  consent  of  the  manager  to  execute  her  '  Dag- 
ger Dance  '  in  the  middle  of  the  song,  instead  of  at  the 
end,  —  suddenly  sprang  towards  the  footlights  in  a  pir- 
ouette of  extravagant  and  exquisite  velocity  —  while,  — 
checked  by  a  sign  from  the  conductor,  the  singers  ceased. 


428  "Temporal  Power' 

Without  music,  in  an  absolute  stillness  as  of  death,  the 
girl  swung  herself  to  and  fro,  like  a  bell-flower  in  the 
breeze,  —  anon  she  sprang  and  leaped  like  a  scarlet  flame 

—  and  again  sank  into  a  slow  and  voluptuous  motion,  as 
of  a  fairy  who  dreamingly  glides  on  tiptoe  over  a  field  of 
flowers.  Then,  on  a  sudden,  while  the  fascinated  specta- 
tors watched  her  breathlessly,  —  she  seemed  to  wake  from 
sleep,  —  and  running  forward  wildly,  began  to  toss  and 
whirl  her  scarlet  skirts,  her  black  curls  streaming,  her 
dark  eyes  flashing  with  mingled  defiance  and  scorn,  while 
drawing  from  her  breast  an  unsheathed  dagger,  she  flung 
it  in  the  air,  caught  it  dexterously  by  the  hilt  again,  twisted 
and  turned  it  in  every  possible  way,  —  now  beckoning, 
now  repelling,  now  defending,  —  and  lastly  threatening, 
with  a  passionate  intensity  of  action  that  was  well-nigh 
irresistible. 

Caught  by  the  marvellous  subtlety  of  her  performance, 
quite  one  half  the  audience  now  rose  instinctively,  all  eyes 
being  fixed  on  the  strange  evolutions  of  this  whirling, 
flying  thing  that  seemed  possessed  by  the  very  devil  of 
dancing !  The  King  at  last  attracted,  leaned  slightly  for- 
ward from  his  box  with  a  tolerant  smile,  —  the  Queen's 
face  was  as  usual,  immovable,  —  the  Princes  Rupert  and 
Cyprian  stared,  open-mouthed  —  while  over  the  whole 
brilliant  scene  that  remarkable  silence  brooded,  like  the 
sultry  pause  before  the  breaking  of  a  storm.  Trium- 
phant, reckless,  panting,  —  scarcely  knowing  what  she 
did  in  her  excitement,  —  Pequita,  suddenly  running  back- 
ward, with  the  lightness  of  thistle-down  flying  before  the 
wind,  snatched  the  flag  of  the  country  from  a  super  stand- 
ing by,  and  dancing  forward  again,  waved  it  aloft,  till 
with  a  final  abandonment  of  herself  to  the  humour  of  the 
moment,  she  sprang  with  a  single  bound  towards  the 
Royal  box,  and  there  —  the  youthful  incarnation  of  living, 
breathing  passion,  fury,  patriotism,  and  exultation  in  one, 

—  dropped  on  one  knee,  the  flag  waving  behind  her,  the 
dagger  pointed  straight  upward,  full  at  the  King ! 

A  great  roar,  —  like  that  of  hundreds  of  famished  wild 
beasts,  —  answered  this  gesture  ;  mingled  with  acclama- 
tions, —  and  when  '  The  Song  of  Freedom  '  again  burst 
out  from  the  singers  on  the  stage,  the  whole  mass  of 
people  joined  in  the  chorus  with  a  kind  of  melodious  mad- 


The  Song  of  Freedom        429 

ness.     Shouts  of  '  Pequita !    Pequita !  '  rang  out  on   all 

sides,  —  then    '  Yaldor !     Valdor !  ' and    then,  —  all 

suddenly,  —  a  stentorian  voice  cried  '  Sergius  Thord !  ' 
At  that  word  the  house  became  a  chaos.  Men  in  the  gal- 
lery, seized  by  some  extraordinary  impulse  of  doing  they 
knew  not  what,  and  going  they  knew  not  whither,  leaped 
over  each  other's  shoulders,  and  began  to  climb  down  by 
the  pillars  of  the  balconies  to  the  stalls,  —  and  a  universal 
panic  and  rush  ensued.  Terrified  women  hurried  from 
the  stalls  and  boxes  in  spite  of  warning,  and  got  mixed 
with  the  maddened  crowd,  a  section  of  which,  pouring  out 
of  the  Opera-house  came  incontinently  upon  the  King's 
carriage  in  waiting,  —  and  forthwith,  without  any  reflec- 
tion as  to  the  why  or  the  wherefore,  smashed  it  to  atoms ! 
Then,  singing  again  'The  Song  of  Freedom,'  —  the 
people,  pouring  out  from  all  the  doors,  formed  into  a  huge 
battalion,  and  started  on  a  march  of  devastation  and 
plunder. 

Sergius  Thord,  grasping  the  situation  from  the  first, 
rushed  out  of  the  Opera-house  in  all  haste,  anxious 
to  avert  a  catastrophe,  but  he  was  too  late  to  stop  the 
frenzied  crowd,  —  nothing  could,  or  would  have  stopped 
them  at  that  particular  moment.  The  fire  had  been  too 
long  smouldering  in  their  souls ;  and  Pequita,  like  a 
little  spark  of  fury,  had  set  it  in  a  blaze.  Through  pri- 
vate ways  and  back  streets,  the  King  and  Queen  and  their 
sons,  escorted  by  the  alarmed  manager,  escaped  from 
the  Opera  unhurt,  —  and  drove  back  unobserved  to  the 
Palace  in  a  common  fiacre  —  and  a  vast  multitude,  wait- 
ing to  see  them  come  out  by  the  usual  doors,  and  finding 
they  did  not  come,  vented  their  rage  and  disgust  by 
tearing  up  and  smashing  everything  within  their  reach. 
Then,  remembering  in  good  time,  despite  their  excite- 
ment, that  the  manager  of  the  Opera  had  done  nothing  to 
deserve  injury  to  himself  or  his  property,  they  paused 
in  this  work  of  destruction,  and  with  the  sudden  caprice 
of  children,  gave  out  ringing  cheers  for  him  and  for 
Pequita  ;  —  while  their  uncertainty  as  to  what  to  do  next 
was  settled  for  them  by  Paul  Zouche,  who,  mounting  on 
one  of  the  pedestals  which  supported  the  columns  of  the 
entrance  to  the  Opera,  where  his  wild  head,  glittering 
eyes  and  eager  face  looked  scarcely  human,  cried  out : 


■>  > 


43 o  "Temporal  Power 

"  Damnation  to  Carl  Perousse !  Why  do  you  idle  here, 
my  friends,  when  you  might  be  busy !  If  you  want  Free- 
dom, seek  it  from  him  who  is  to  be  your  new  Prime 
Minister !  " 

A  prolonged  yell  of  savage  approval  answered  him,  — 
and  like  an  angry  tide,  the  crowd  swept  on  and  on, 
gathering  strength  and  force  as  it  went,  and  pouring 
through  the  streets  with  fierce  clamour  of  shouting,  and 
clash  of  hastily  collected  weapons,  —  on  and  on  to  the 
great  square,  in  the  centre  of  which  stood  the  statue  of 
the  late  King,  and  where  the  house  of  Carl  Perousse 
occupied  the  most  prominent  position.  And  the  moon, 
coming  suddenly  out  of  a  cloud,  stared  whitely  down 
upon  the  turbulent  scene,  —  one  too  often  witnessed  in 
history,  when,  as  Carlyle  says,  '  a  Nation  of  men  is  sud- 
denly hurled  beyond  the  limits.  For  Nature,  as  green 
as  she  looks,  rests  everywhere  on  dread  foundations,  and 
Pan,  to  whose  music  the  Nymphs  dance,  has  a  cry  in  him 
that  can  drive  all  men  distracted !  ' 

In  such  distraction,  and  with  such  wild  cry,  the  night 
of  Pequita's  long-looked-for  dance  before  the  King  swept 
stormily  on  towards  day. 


CHAPTER   XXVIII 

"FATE    GIVES THE    KING!" 

NEWS  of  this  fresh  and  more  violent  disturbance 
among-  the  people  brought  the  soldiery  out  in  hot 
haste,  who  galloped  down  to  the  scene  of  excitement, 
only  to  find  the  mounted  police  before  them,  headed  by 
General  Bernhoff,  who  careering  to  and  fro,  cool  and  com- 
posed, forbade,  '  in  the  name  of  the  King !  '  any  attempt 
to  drive  the  mob  out  of  the  square.  Swaying  uneasily 
round  and  round,  the  populace  yelled  and  groaned,  and 
cheered  and  hissed ;  not  knowing  exactly  whereunto  they 
were  so  wildly  moved,  but  evidently  waiting  for  a  fresh 
'  lead.'  The  house  of  Carl  Perousse,  with  its  handsome 
exterior  and  stately  marble  portico,  offered  itself  as  a 
tempting  target  to  the  more  excitable  roughs,  and  a 
stone  sent  crashing  through  one  of  the  windows  would 
have  certainly  been  the  signal  for  a  general  onslaught  had 
not  a  man's  figure  suddenly  climbed  the  pedestal  which 
supported  the  statue  of  the  late  King  in  the  centre  of  the 
square,  and  lifted  its  living  visible  identity  against  the 
frowning  cold  stone  image  of  the  dead.  A  cry  went  up 
from  thousands  of  throats  —  '  Sergius  Thord !  '  —  fol- 
lowed by  an  extraordinary  clamour  of  passionate  plaudits, 
as  the  excited  people  recognised  the  grand  head  and  com- 
manding aspect  of  their  own  particular  Apostle  of  Liberty. 
He, — stretching  out  his  hands  with  a  gesture  of  mingled 
authority  and  entreaty,  —  pacified  the  raging  sea  of  con- 
tradictory and  conflicting  voices  as  if  by  magic,  —  and 
the  horrid  clamour  died  down  into  a  dull  roar,  which  in 
its  turn  subsided  into  silence. 

'  Friends  and  brothers  !  ':  he  cried  ;  "  Be  calm  !  Be 
patient!  What  spirit  possesses  you  to  thus  destroy  the 
chances  of  your  own  peace !  What  is  your  aim ?  Justice? 
Ay  —  justice !  —  but  how  can  you  gain  this  by  being  your- 


43 2  "Temporal  Power' 

selves  unjust?  Will  you  remedy  Wrong  by  injuring 
Right?  Nay — this  must  not  be! — this  cannot  be,  with 
you,  whose  passion  for  liberty  is  noble,  —  whose  love  for 
truth  is  fixed  and  resolute, — and  who  seek  no  more  than  is 
by  human  right  your  own  !  This  sudden  tempest,  by  which 
your  souls  are  tossed,  is  like  an  angry  gust  upon  the  sea, 
which  wrecks  great  vessels  and  drowns  brave  men ;  —  be 
something  more  than  the  semblance  of  the  capricious  wind 
which  destroys  without  having  reason  to  know  why  it  is 
bent  on  destruction !  What  are  you  here  for  ?  What 
would  you  do?  " 

A  confused  shouting  answered  him,  in  which  cries  of 
'  Perousse !  '  and  '  The  King !  '  were  most  prominent. 

Sergius  Thord  looked  round  upon  the  seething  mass 
below  him,  with  a  strange  sense  of  power  and  of  triumph. 
He  —  even  he  —  who  could  claim  to  be  no  more  than 
a  poor  Thinker,  speaker  and  writer,  —  had  won  these 
thousands  to  his  command !  —  he  had  them  here,  willing 
to  obey  his  lightest  word,  —  ready  to  follow  his  signal 
wheresoever  it  might  take  them !  His  eyes  glowed,  — 
and  the  light  of  a  great  and  earnest  inspiration  illumined 
his  strong  features. 

'You  call  for  Carl  Perousse!"  he  said;  "Yonder  he 
dwells !  —  in  the  regal  house  he  has  built  for  himself  out 
of  the  sweating  work  of  the  poor !  "  A  fierce  yell  from 
the  populace  and  an  attempt  at  a  rush,  was  again  stopped 
by  the  speaker's  uplifted  hand  ;  "  Wait,  friends  —  wait ! 
Think  for  a  moment  of  the  result  of  action,  before  you 
act !  Suppose  you  pulled  down  that  palace  of  fraud ; 
suppose  your  strong  hands  righteously  rent  it  asunder  ;  — 
suppose  you  set  fire  to  its  walls,  —  suppose  you  dragged 
out  the  robber  from  his  cave  and  slew  him  here,  before 
sunrise  —  what  then  ?  You  would  make  of  him  a  martyr ! 
—  and  the  hypocritical  liars  of  the  present  policy,  who  are 
involved  with  him  in  his  financial  schemes,  —  would  chant 
his  praises  in  every  newspaper,  and  laud  his  virtues  in 
every  sermon !  Nay,  we  should  probably  hear  of  a  special 
'  Memorial  Service  '  being  held  in  our  great  Cathedral 
to  sanctify  the  corpse  of  the  vilest  stock-jobbing  rascal 
that  ever  cheated  the  gallows !  Be  wiser  than  that,  my 
friends !  Do  not  soil  your  hands  either  with  the  body  of 
Carl  Perousse  or  his  ill-gotten  dwelling.     What  we  want 


"Fate  Gives  —  The  King!'       433 

for  him  is  Disgrace,  not  Death !  Death  is  far  too  easy ! 
An  innocent  child  may  die ;  do  not  give  to  a  false-hearted 
knave  the  simple  exit  common  to  the  brave  and  true !  Dis- 
grace! —  disgrace !  Shame,  confusion,  and  the  curse  of  the 
country,  —  let  these  be  your  vengeance  on  the  man  who 
seeks  to  clutch  the  reins  of  government !  —  the  man  who 
would  drive  the  people  like  whipped  horses  to  their  ruin  !  '' 

Another  roar  answered  him,  but  this  time  it  was  min- 
gled with  murmurs  of  dissatisfaction.  Thord  caught 
these  up,  and  at  once  responded  to  them. 

"  I  hear  you,  O  People !  I  hear  the  clamour  of  your 
hearts  and  souls,  which  is  almost  too  strong  to  find  ex- 
pression in  speech  !  You  cannot  wait,  you  would  tell  me ! 
You  would  have  Perousse  dragged  out  here,  —  you  would 
tear  him  to  pieces  among  you,  if  you  could,  and  carry 
the  fragments  of  him  to  the  King,  to  prove  what  a  people 
can  do  with  a  villain  proposed  to  them  as  their  Prime 
Minister !  "  Loud  and  ferocious  shouts  answered  these 
words,  and  he  went  on  ;  "  I  know  —  I  understand  !  —  and 
I  sympathise!  But  even  as  I  know  you,  you  know  me! 
Believe  me  now,  therefore,  and  hear  my  promise !  I  swear 
to  you  before  you  all  "  —  and  here  he  extended  both 
arms  with  a  solemn  and  impressive  gesture  —  "  that  this 
month  shall  not  be  ended  before  the  dishonesty  of  Carl 
Perousse  is  publicly  and  flagrantly  known  at  every  street 
corner,  —  in  every  town  and  province  of  the  land  !  —  and 
before  the  most  high  God,  I  take  my  oath  to  you,  the 
People,  —  that  he  shall  never  be  the  governing  head  of 
the  country !  " 

A  hurricane  of  applause  answered  him  —  a  tempest 
of  shouting  that  seemed  to  surge  and  sway  through  the 
air  and  down  to  the  earth  again  like  the  beating  of  a 
powerful  wind. 

"  Give  me  your  trust,  O  People !  "  he  cried,  carried 
beyond  himself  with  the  excitement  and  fervour  of  the 
scene  —  "  Give  me  yourselves  !  " 

Another  roar  replied  to  this  adjuration.  He  stood 
triumphant ;  —  the  people  pressing  up  around  him,  — 
some  weeping  —  some  kneeling  at  his  feet  —  some  climb- 
ing to  kiss  his  hand.  A  few  angry  voices  in  the  distance 
cried  out  —  '  The   King  !  '  —  and  he  turned  at   once  on 

the  word. 

28 


434  "Temporal  Power' 

'Who  needs  the  King?"  he  demanded;  "Who  calls 
for  him  ?  What  is  he  to  us  ?  What  has  he  ever  been  ? 
Look  back  on  his  career !  —  see  him  as  Heir-Apparent 
to  the  Throne,  wasting  his  time  with  dishonest  associates, 
—  dealing  with  speculators  and  turf  gamblers  —  involv- 
ing himself  in  debt  —  and  pandering  to  vile  women,  who 
still  hold  him  in  their  grasp,  and  who  in  their  turn  rule 
the  country  by  their  caprice,  and  drain  the  Royal  coffers 
by  their  licentious  extravagance!  Now  look  on  him  as 
the  King,  —  a  tool  in  the  hands  of  financiers  —  a  specu- 
lator among  speculators  —  steeped  to  the  very  eyes  in 
the  love  of  money,  and  despising  all  men  who  do  not  bear 
the  open  blazon  of  wealth  upon  them,  —  what  has  he 
done  for  the  people  ?  Nothing !  What  will  he  ever  do 
for  the  People  ?  Nothing !  Flattered  by  self-seekers  — 
stuffed  with  eulogy  by  a  paid  Press  —  his  name  made  a 
byword  and  a  mockery  by  the  very  women  with  whom 
he  consorts,  what  should  we  do  with  him  in  Our  work ! 
Let  him  alone !  —  let  him  be !  Let  him  eat  and  drink  as 
suits  his  nature  —  and  die  of  the  poison  his  own  vices 
breed  in  his  blood !  —  we  want  naught  of  him,  or  his 
heirs !  When  the  time  ripens  to  its  full  fruition,  we,  the 
People,  can  do  without  a  Throne !  " 

At  this,  thousands  of  hats  and  handkerchiefs  were 
tossed  in  the  air,  —  thousands  of  voices  cheered  to  the 
very  echo,  and  to  relieve  their  feelings  still  more  com- 
pletely the  vast  crowd  once  more  took  up  '  The  Song  of 
Freedom  '  and  began  singing  it  in  unison  steadily  and 
grandly,  with  all  that  resistless  force  and  passion  which 
springs  from  deep-seated  emotion  in  the  soul.  And  while 
they  were  singing,  Thord,  glancing  rapidly  about  him, 
saw  Johan  Zegota  close  at  hand,  and  to  his  still  greater 
satisfaction,  Pasquin  Leroy ;  and  beckoning-  them  both 
to  his  side  whispered  his  brief  orders,  which  were  at 
once  comprehended.  The  day  was  breaking ;  and  in  the 
purple  east  a  line  of  crimson  showed  where  the  sun 
would  presently  rise.  A  few  minutes'  quick  organisation 
worked  by  Leroy  and  Zegota,  and  some  few  other  of  their 
comrades  sufficed  to  break  up  the  mob  into  three  sections, 
and  in  perfect  order  they  stood  blocked  for  a  moment, 
like  the  three  wings  of  a  great  army.  Then  once  more 
Thord  addressed  them : 


"Fate  Gives — The  King!'        435 

'  People,  you  have  heard  my  vow!  If  before  the  end 
of  the  month  Carl  Perousse  is  not  ejected  with  contempt 
from  office,  I  will  ask  my  death  at  your  hands !  A  meet- 
ing will  be  convened  next  week  at  the  People's  Assembly 
Rooms  where  we  shall  make  arrangements  to  approach 
the  King.  If  the  King  refuses  to  receive  us,  we  shall  find 
means  to  make  him  do  so !  He  shall  hear  us !  He  is  our 
paid  servant,  and  he  is  bound  to  serve  us  faithfully,  — 
or  the  Throne  shall  be  a  thing  of  the  past,  to  be  looked 
back  upon  with  regret  that  we,  a  great  and  free  people, 
ever  tolerated  its  vice  and  tyranny!  " 

Here  he  waited  to  let  the  storm  of  plaudits  subside,  — 
and  then  continued:  "  Now  part,  all  of  you  friends!  — 
go  your  ways,  —  and  keep  order  for  yourselves  with 
vigilance !  The  soldiery  are  here,  but  they  dare  not  fire ! 
—  the  police  are  here,  but  they  dare  not  arrest !  Give 
them  no  cause  even  to  say  that  it  would  have  been  well 
to  do  either !  Let  the  spiritual  force  of  your  determined 
minds,  —  fixed  on  a  noble  and  just  purpose,  over-rule 
mere  temporal  authority ;  let  none  have  to  blame  you 
for  murder  or  violence,  —  take  no  life,  —  shed  no  blood ; 
but  let  your  conquest  of  the  Government,  —  your  capture 
of  the  Throne,  —  be  a  glorious  moral  victory,  outweigh- 
ing any  battle  gained  only  by  brute  force  and  rapine ! ' 

He  was  answered  by  a  strenuous  cheer ;  and  then  the 
three  great  sections  of  the  multitude  began  to  move. 
Out  of  the  square  in  perfect  order  they  marched,  —  still 
singing ;  one  huge  mass  of  people  being  headed  by  Pas- 
quin  Leroy,  the  other  by  Johan  Zegota,  —  the  third  by 
Sergius  Thord  himself.  The  soldiery,  seeing  there  was 
no  cause  for  interference,  withdrew,  —  the  police  dis- 
persed, and  once  again  an  outbreak  of  popular  disorder 
was  checked  and  for  a  time  withheld. 

But  this  second  riot  had  startled  the  metropolis  in  good 
earnest.  Everyone  became  fully  alive  to  the  danger  and 
increasing  force  of  the  disaffected  community,  —  and  the 
Government,  —  lately  grown  inert  and  dilatory  in  the 
transaction  of  business,  —  began  seriously  to  consider 
ways  and  means  of  pacifying  general  clamour  and  public 
dissatisfaction.  None  of  the  members  of  the  Cabinet  were 
much  surprised,  therefore,  when  they  each  received  a 
summons  from  the  King  to  wait  upon  him  at  the  Palace 


436  "Temporal  Power' 

that  day  week,  — '  to  discuss  affairs  of  national  urgency,' 
and  the  general  impression  appeared  to  be,  that  though 
Carl  Perousse  dismissed  the  '  street  rowdyism,'  as  he 
called  it,  with  contempt,  and  spoke  of  '  disloyal  traitors 
opposed  to  the  Government,'  he  was  nevertheless  riding 
for  a  fall :  and  that  his  chances  of  obtaining  the  Premier- 
ship were  scarcely  so  sure  as  they  had  hitherto  seemed. 

Meanwhile,  Pequita,  whose  childish  rage  against  the 
King  for  not  noticing  her  dancing  or  applauding  it,  had 
been  the  trifling  cause  of  the  sudden  volcanic  eruption  of 
the  public  mind,  became  more  than  ever  the  idol  of  the 
hour.  The  night  after  the  riot,  the  Opera-house  was 
crowded  to  suffocation,  —  and  the  stage  was  covered  with 
flowers.  Among  the  countless  bouquets  offered  to  the  tri- 
umphant little  dancer,  came  one  which  was  not  thrown 
from  the  audience,  but  was  brought  to  her  by  a  messenger ; 
it  was  a  great  cluster  of  scarlet  carnations,  and  attached  to 
it  was  a  tiny  velvet  case,  containing  the  ring  promised  to 
her  by  Pasquin  Leroy,  when,  as  he  had  said,  she  '  should 
dance  before  the  King.'  A  small  card  accompanied  it 
on  which  was  written  '  Pequita,  from  Pasquin ! '  Turn- 
ing to  Lotys,  who,  in  the  event  of  further  turbulence,  had 
accompanied  her  to  the  Opera  that  night  to  take  care  of 
her,  and  who  sat  grave,  pale,  and  thoughtful,  in  one  of 
the  dressing-rooms  near  the  stage,  the  child  eagerly 
showed  her  the  jewel,  exclaiming: 

"  See !     He  has  kept  his  promise  !  " 

And  Lotys,  —  sighing  even  while  she  smiled,  — 
answered : 

'  Yes,  dear !  He  would  not  be  the  brave  man  he  is, 
if  he  ever  broke  his  word !  " 

Whereat  Pequita  slipped  the  ring  on  her  friend's  fin- 
ger, kissing  her  and  whispering: 

1  Take  care  of  it  for  me !  Wear  it  for  me !  For  to- 
night, at  least !  " 

Lotys  assented,  —  though  with  a  little  reluctance,  — 
and  it  was  only  while  Pequita  was  away  from  her,  per- 
forming her  part  on  the  stage,  that  this  strange  lonely 
woman  bent  her  face  down  on  the  hand  adorned  with  the 
star-like  gem  and  kissed  it,  —  tears  standing  in  her  eyes 
as  she  murmured : 

'My  love  —  my  love!     If  you  only  knew!'' 


"Fate  Gives  —  The  King!'        437 

And  then  the  hot  colour  surged  into  her  cheeks  for 
sheer  shame  of  herself  that  she  should  love !  —  she  —  no 
longer  in  her  youth,  —  and  utterly  unconscious  that  there 
was,  or  could  be  any  beauty  in  her  deep  lustrous  eyes, 
white  skin,  and  dull  gold  hair.  What  had  she  to  do  with 
the  thoughts  of  passion?  —  she  whose  life  was  devoted 
to  the  sick  and  needy,  —  and  who  had  no  right  to  think 
of  anything  else  but  how  she  should  aid  them  best,  so 
long  as  that  life  should  last !  She  knew  well  enough  that 
love  of  a  great,  jealous,  and  almost  savage  kind,  was  hers 
if  she  chose  to  claim  it  —  the  love  of  Sergius  Thord,  who 
worshipped  her  both  as  a  woman  and  an  Intellect ;  but 
she  could  not  contemplate  him  as  her  lover,  having  grown 
up  to  consider  him  more  as  a  sort  of  paternal  guardian 
and  friend.  In  fact,  she  had  thoroughly  resigned  herself 
to  think  of  nothing  but  work  for  the  remainder  of  her 
days,  and  to  entirely  forego  the  love  and  tenderness  which 
most  women,  even  the  poorest,  have  the  natural  right  to 
win  ;  and  now  slowly,  —  almost  unconsciously  to  herself, 
—  Love  had  stolen  into  her  soul  and  taken  possession  of 
it ;  —  secret  love  for  the  man,  who  brave  almost  to  reck- 
lessness, had  joined  his  fortunes  in  with  Sergius  Thord 
and  his  companions,  and  had  assisted  the  work  of  pushing 
matters  so  far  forward,  that  the  wrongs  done  to  the  poor, 
and  the  numerous  injustices  of  the  law,  which  for  years 
had  been  accumulating,  and  had  become  part  and  parcel 
of  the  governing  system  of  the  country,  now  stood  a  fair 
chance  of  being  remedied.  She,  with  her  quick  woman's 
instinct,  had  perceived  that  where  Sergius  Thord,  in  his 
dreamy  idealism,  halted  and  was  uncertain  of  results, 
Pasquin  Leroy  stepped  into  the  breach  and  won  the  vic- 
tory. And,  like  all  courageous  women,  she  admired  a 
courageous  man.  Not  that  Thord  lacked  courage,  —  he 
had  plenty  of  the  physical  brute  force  known  as  such,  — 
but  he  had  also  a  peculiar  and  uncomfortable  quality  of 
rousing  desires,  both  in  himself  and  others  which  he  had 
not  the  means  of  gratifying. 

Thus  Lotys  foresaw'  that,  unless  by  some  miraculous 
chance  he  obtained  both  place  and  power,  and  a  share  in 
the  ruling  of  things,  there  was  every  possibility  of  a  split 
in  the  Revolutionary  Committee,  —  one  half  being  in- 
clined  to  indulge  in   the  criminal   and   wholly   wasteful 


43 8  "Temporal  Power" 

spirit  of  Anarchy,  —  the  other  disposed  to  throw  in  its 
lot  with  the  Liberal  or  Radical  side  of  politics.  And  she 
began  to  regard  Pasquin  Leroy,  with  his  even  tempera- 
ment, cool  imperturbability,  intellectual  daring,  and  liter- 
ary ability,  as  the  link  which  kept  them  all  together,  and 
gave  practical  force  to  the  often  brooding  and  fantastic 
day-dreams  of  Thord,  who,  though  he  made  plans  night 
and  day  for  the  greater  freedom  and  relief  of  the  People 
from  unjust  coercion,  had  not  succeeded  in  obtaining  as 
yet  sufficient  power  to  carry  them  into  execution. 

It  was  evident,  however,  to  the  whole  country  that  the 
times  were  in  a  ferment,  —  that  the  Government  was 
growing  more  unpopular,  and  that  Carl  Perousse,  the 
chief  hinge  on  which  Governmental  force  turned,  was 
under  a  cloud  of  the  gravest  suspicion.  Meetings,  more 
or  less  stormy  in  character,  were  held  everywhere  by 
every  shade  of  party  in  politics,  —  and  strong  protests 
against  his  being  nominated  as  Premier  were  daily  sent 
to  the  King.  But  to  the  surprise  of  many,  and  the  annoy- 
ance of  most,  his  Majesty  gave  no  sign.  The  news- 
papers burst  into  rampant  argument,  —  every  little  editor 
issued  his  Jovian  '  opinion  '  on  the  grave  issues  at  stake ; 
—  David  Jost  kept  his'  Hebraic  colours  flying  for  the 
King,  —  judging  that  to  flatter  Royalty  was  always  a 
safe  course  for  most  Jews;  —  while  in  the  rival  journal, 
brilliant  essays,  leaders  and  satires  on  the  political  situ- 
ation, combined  with  point-blank  accusations  against  the 
Secretary  of  State,  (which  that  distinguished  personage 
always  failed  to  notice,)  flew  from  the  pen  of  the  mys- 
terious writer,  Pasquin  Leroy,  and  occupied  constant 
public  attention.  Unlike  the  realm  of  Britain,  —  where 
the  '  golden  youth  '  enfeeble  their  intellects  by  the  perusal 
of  such  poor  and  slangy  journalism  that  they  have  lost 
both  the  art  and  wit  to  comprehend  brilliant  political 
writing,  —  the  inhabitants  of  this  particular  corner  of 
the  sunny  south  were  always  ready  to  worship  genius 
wherever  even  the  smallest  glimmer  of  it  appeared,  —  and 
the  admiration  Leroy's  writings  excited  was  fast  becoming 
universal,  though  for  the  most  part  these  writings  were 
extremely  inflammable  in  nature,  and  rated  both  King 
and  Court  soundly.  But  with  the  usual  indifference  of 
Royalty  to  '  genius  '  generally,  the  King,  when  asked  if 


"Fate  Gives  —  The  King!'       439 

he  had  taken  note  of  certain  articles  dealing  very  freely 
with  both  him  and  his  social  conduct,  declared  he  had 
never  heard  of  them,  or  of  their  writer ! 

"  I  never,"  he  said  with  an  odd  smile,  "  pay  any  atten- 
tion to  clever  literature!  I  should  be  establishing  a  pre- 
cedent which  would  be  inconvenient  and  disagreeable  to 
my  fellow  sovereigns  !  ' 

The  time  went  on ;  the  King  met  his  Ministers  on  the 
day  he  had  summoned  them  in  private  council,  —  and  on 
the  other  hand  Sergius  Thord  convened  a  mighty  mass- 
meeting  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  a  resolution  formed 
to  address  his  Majesty  on  the  impending  question  of  the 
Premiership.  From  the  King's  council,  the  heads  of  Gov- 
ernment came  away  in  haste,  despair  and  confusion  ;  from 
the  mass-meeting  whole  regiments  marched  through  the 
streets  in  triumphant  and  satisfied  order. 

After  these  events  there  came  a  night,  when  the  sweet 
progress  of  calm  weather  was  broken  up  by  cloud  and 
storm,  —  and  when  heavy  thunder  boomed  over  the  city 
at  long  dull  intervals,  like  the  grinding  and  pounding  of 
artillery,  without  any  rain  to  cool  the  heated  ether,  which 
was  now  and  again  torn  asunder  by  flashes  of  lightning. 
There  was  evidently  a  raging  tempest  far  out  at  sea, 
though  the  land  only  received  suggestions  of  this  by  the 
occasional  rearing  up  of  huge  dark  green  billows  which 
broke  against  the  tall  cliffs,  plumed  with  mimosa  and 
myrtle,  that  guarded  the  coast.  Heavy  scents  of  flowers 
were  in  the  air  —  heavy  heat  weighed  down  the  atmos- 
phere, —  and  there  was  a  languor  in  the  slow  footsteps 
of  the  men,  who,  singly,  or  in  groups,  arrived  at  the  door 
of  Sergius  Thord's  house  to  fulfil  the  dread  compact  bind- 
ing upon  them  all  in  regard  to  the  '  Day  of  Fate.'  Pasquin 
Leroy  and  his  two  companions  were  among  the  first  to 
arrive,  and  to  make  their  way  up  the  dark  steep  stairs  to 
the  Committee  room,  where,  when  they  entered,  they 
found  the  usual  aspect  of  things  strangely  altered.  The 
table  no  longer  occupied  its  position  in  the  middle  of  the 
floor;  it  was  set  on  a  raised  platform  entirely  draped  with 
black.  Large  candelabra,  holding  six  lights  each,  occu- 
pied either  end,  —  and  in  the  centre  one  solitary  red  lamp 
was  placed,  shedding  its  flare  over  a  large  bronze  vessel 
shaped  like  a  funeral  urn.     The  rest  of  the  room  was  in 


44°  "Temporal  Power' 

darkness,  —  and  with  the  gathering  groups  of  men,  who 
moved  silently  and  spoke  in  whispers,  it  presented  a 
solemn  and  eerie  spectacle. 

'Ah!  You  have  now  arrived,"  said  Max  Graub,  in  a 
cautious  sotto  voce  to  Leroy,  "  at  the  end  of  your  adven- 
tures !  Behold  the  number  Thirteen !  Six  lights  at  one 
end,  six  lights  at  the  other,  —  that  is  twelve ;  and  in  the 
centre  the  Thirteenth  —  the  red  Eye  looking  into  the 
sepulchral  urn  !    It  is  all  up  with  us  !  " 

Leroy  said  nothing,  —  but  the  face  of  the  man  called 
Axel  Regor  grew  suddenly  very  pale.  He  drew  Leroy 
a  little  aside. 

"  This  is  no  laughing  matter !  "  he  said  very  earnestly ; 
"  Let  me  stand  near  you  —  let  me  keep  close  at  your  side 
all  the  evening !  " 

Leroy  smiled  and  pressed  his  hand. 

'  My  dear  fellow  !  "  he  said  ;  "  Have  no  fear !  Or  if 
you  have  fear,  do  not  show  it !  You  stand  in  precisely 
the  same  danger  as  myself,  or  as  any  of  us ;  you  may 
draw  the  fatal  Signal !  —  but  if  you  do,  I  promise  you  I 
will  volunteer  myself  in  your  place." 

"  You!"  said  Regor  with  a  volume  of  meaning  in  the 
utterance  ;    '  You  would  stand  in  my  place  ?  " 

"  Why,  of  course!  "  replied  Leroy  cheerily;  '  Life  is 
not  such  a  wonderful  business,  that  death  for  a  friend's 
sake  is  not  better  !  " 

Regor  looked  at  him,  and  a  speechless  devotion  filled 
and  softened  his  eyes.  Certain  words  spoken  to  him  by 
a  woman  he  loved  echoed  through  his  brain,  and  he 
murmured : 

"  Nay,  by  the  God  above  us,  if  death  is  in  question,  / 
will  die  rather  than  let  you  die !  " 

"  That  will  depend  on  my  humour!  "  said  Leroy,  still 
smiling ;  "  You  will  require  my  permission  to  enter  into 
combat  with  the  last  enemy  before  he  offers  challenge !  " 

Max  Graub  here  approached  them  with  a  warning 
ringer  laid  on  his  lips. 

"  Hush  —  sh  —  sh  !  ':  he  said  ;  "  Think  as  much  as 
you  like,  —  but  talk  as  little  as  you  can !  I  assure  you 
this  is  a  most  uncomfortable  business !  —  and  here  comes 
the  axis  of  the  revolving  wheel !  " 

They  made  way,  —  as  did  all  the  men  grouped  together 


"Fate  Gives  —  The  King!'        441 

in  the  room,  —  for  the  entrance  of  Sergius  Thord  and 
Lotys.  These  two  came  in  together ;  and  with  a  silent 
salute  which  included  the  whole  Committee,  ascended  the 
raised  platform.  Lotys  was  deadly  pale ;  and  the  white 
dress  she  wore,  with  its  scarlet  sash,  accentuated  that  pale- 
ness. She  appeared  for  once  to  move  under  the  domi- 
nance of  some  greater  will  than  her  own,  —  she  moved 
slowly,  and  her  head  was  bent,  —  and  even  to  Pasquin 
Leroy  as  she  passed  him,  her  faint  smile  of  recognition 
was  both  sad  and  cold.  Once  on  the  platform,  she  seated 
herself  at  the  lower  end  of  the  funereally-draped  table  ; 
and  leaning  her  head  on  one  hand,  seemed  lost  in  thought. 
Thord  took  his  place  at  the  opposite  end,  —  whereupon 
Johan  Zegota  moving  stealthily  to  the  door,  closed  it, 
locked  it,  and  put  the  key  in  his  pocket.  Then  he  in  turn 
mounted  the  platform,  and  began  in  a  clear  but  low  voice 
to  call  the  roll  of  the  members  of  the  Committee. 

Each  man  answered  to  his  name  in  the  same  guarded 
tone ;  all  without  a  single  exception  were  present ;  —  and 
Zegota,  having  completed  the  catalogue,  turned  to  Thord 
for  further  instructions.  The  rest  of  the  company  then 
seated  themselves,  —  finding  their  chairs  with  some  little 
difficulty  in  the  semi-darkness.  When  the  noise  of  their 
shuffling  feet  had  ceased,  Thord  rose  and  advanced  to  the 
front  of  the  platform. 

"  Friends,"  he  said  slowly ;  '  You  are  here  to-night  to 
determine  by  the  hand  of  Chance,  or  Destiny,  which  of 
certain  traitors  among  many  thousands,  shall  meet  with 
the  punishment  his  treachery  deserves.  In  the  list  of  those 
who  are  to-night  marked  down  for  death  is  Carl  Perousse  ; 

—  happy  the  man  that  draws  that  name  and  is  able  to 
serve  as  the  liberator  to  his  country !  Another,  is  the  Jew, 
David  Jost,  —  because  it  has  been  chiefly  at  his  persua- 
sion that  the  heads  of  the  Government  have  been  tempted 
to  gamble  for  their  own  personal  motives  with  the  secrets 
of  State  policy.  Another,  is  the  Marquis  de  Lutera ;  — 
who  though  he  has,  possibly  through  fear,  resigned  office, 
is  to  blame  for  having  made  his  own  private  fortune,  — 
as  well  as  the  fortunes  of  all  the  members  of  his  family, 

—  out  of  the  injuries  and  taxations  inflicted  on  the  People. 
To  his  suggestion  we  owe  the  cruel  price  of  bread,  —  the 
tax  on  corn,  a  necessity  of  life ;  —  on  his  policy  rests  the 


442  "Temporal  Power' 

responsibility  of  opening  our  Trades  to  such  an  over- 
excess  of  Foreign  Competition  and  Supply  that  our  native 
work  and  our  native  interests  are  paralysed  by  the  strain. 
To  him,  —  as  well  as  to  Carl  Perousse,  we  owe  the  ridicu- 
lous urbanities  of  such  extreme  foreign  diplomacies  as 
expose  our  secret  forces  of  war  to  our  rivals ;  —  from  him 
emanates  the  courteous  and  almost  servile  attention  with 
which  we  foolishly  exhibit  our  naval  and  military  defences 
to  our  enemies.  _  We  assume  that  a  Minister  who  gra- 
ciously permits  a  foreign  arsenal  to  copy  our  guns  —  a 
foreign  dockyard  to  copy  and  to  emulate  our  ships,  —  is 
a  traitor  to  the  prosperity  and  continued  power  of  the 
country.  Two  of  the  great  leaders  in  Trade  are  named 
on  the  Death-list ;  —  one  because,  in  spite  of  many  warn- 
ings, he  employs  foreign  workmen  only ;  the  other,  be- 
cause he  '  sweats  '  native  labour.  The  removal  of  all  these 
persons  will  be  a  boon  to  the  country  —  the  clearing  of  a 
plague  of  rats  from  the  national  House  and  Exchequer! 
Lastly,  the  King  is  named  ;  —  because,  —  though  he  has 
rescued  the  system  of  National  Education  from  Jesuit 
interference  and  threatening  priestly  dominance,  he  has 
turned  a  deaf  ear  to  other  equally  pressing  petitions  of 
his  People,  —  and  also  because  he  does  nothing  to  either 
influence  or  guide  society  to  its  best  and  highest  ends. 
Under  his  rule,  learning  is  set  at  naught  —  Art,  Science 
and  Literature,  the  three  saving  graces  which  make  for 
the  peace,  prosperity  and  fraternity  of  nations,  —  are  ren- 
dered valueless,  because  no  example  is  set  which  would 
give  them  their  rightful  prominence,  —  and  wine,  cards 
and  women  are  substituted,  —  the  three  evil  fates  between 
which  the  honour  of  the  Throne  is  brought  into  contempt. 
We  should  know  and  remember  that  Lotys,  when  she 
lately  saved  the  life  of  the  King,  did,  —  as  she  herself 
can  tell  you,  —  plead  personally  with  him  to  save  the 
people  from  the  despotic  government  of  Carl  Perousse  and 
his  pernicious  'majority';  —  but  though  she  rescued  the 
monarch  at  the  risk  of  her  own  much  more  valuable  ex- 
istence —  and  equally  at  the  risk  of  being  misunderstood 
and  condemned  by  this  very  Society  to  which  her  heart 
and  soul  are  pledged,  —  he  refused  to  even  consider  her 
entreaty.  Therefore,  we  may  be  satisfied  that  he  has  been 
warned ;  —  but  it  would  seem  that  the  warning  is  of  no 


"Fate  Gives  —  The  King!'        443 

avail ;  —  and  whosoever  to-night  draws  the  name  of  the 
King  must  be  swift  and  sure  in  his  business !  " 

There  was  a  deep  pause.  Suddenly  Max  Graub  rose, 
his  bulky  form  and  great  height  giving  him  an  almost 
Titanesque  appearance  in  the  gloom  of  the  chamber. 
Raising  one  hand  as  a  signal,  he  asked  permission  to 
speak,  which  was  instantly  accorded. 

"  To  my  chief,  Sergius  Thord,  and  my  comrades,"  he 
said  with  a  slight  military  salutation ;  '"  I  wish  to  explain 
what  perhaps  they  have  already  discovered,  —  that  I  am 
a  poor  and  uncouth  German,  —  not  altogether  conversant 
with  your  language,  —  and  considerably  bewildered  by 
your  social  ethics  ; — so  that  if  I  do  not  entirely  understand 
things  as  I  should,  you  will  perhaps  pardon  my  ignorance, 
which  includes  other  drawbacks  of  my  disposition.  But 
when  death  is  in  question,  I  am  always  much  interested, 
—  having  spent  all  my  days  in  trying  to  find  out  ways  and 
means  of  combating  man's  chief  enemy  on  his  own  ground. 
Because,  —  though  I  fully  admit  the  usefulness  of  death 
as  a  cleanser  and  solvent;  and  as  a  means  of  clearing 
off  hopelessly-useless  persons,  I  am  not  at  all  sure  that 
it  is  an  advisable  way  to  get  rid  of  the  healthy  and  the 
promising.  I  speak  as  a  physician  merely,  —  with  an  eye 
to  what  is  called  the  '  stock  '  of  the  human  race ;  and  what 
I  now  want  to  know  is  this :  On  what  scientific,  ethical, 
or  religious  grounds,  do  you  wish  to  get  rid  of  the 
King?  Science,  ethics,  and  religion  being  only  in  the 
present  day  so  many  forms  of  carefully  ministering  to 
one's  Self,  and  one's  own  particular  humour,  you 
will  understand  that  I  mean,  —  as  concerns  the  '  happy 
dispatch '  of  this  same  King,  —  what  good  will  it  do 
to  you  ?  " 

There  was  a  silence.  No  one  vouchsafed  any  explana- 
tion.   After  a  considerable  pause,  Thord  replied. 

"  It  will  do  us  no  good.  But  it  will  show  the  country 
that  we  exist  to  revenge  injustice!  " 

"  But  —  is  the  King  unjust?  " 

"  Can  you  ask  it  ?  "  replied  Thord  with  a  certain  grave 
patience.  "  During  your  association  with  us,  have  you  not 
learned  ?  —  and  do  you  not  know  ?  " 

"  Sit  down,  Graub !  "  interrupted  Pasquin  Leroy  sud- 
denly ;    "  I  know  the  King's  ways  well  enough,  —  and  I 


444  "Temporal  Power' 

can  swear  upon  my  honour  that  he  deserves  the  worst 
that  can  be  done  to  him!  " 

A  murmur  of  sullen  approval  ran  through  the  room, 
and  somewhat  lowering  glances  were  cast  at  the  audacious 
Graub,  who  had,  by  his  few  words,  created  the  very  unde- 
sirable impression  that  he  wished,  in  some  remote  way, 
to  interfere  with  the  Committee  solemnities  in  progress, 
and  to  defend  the  King  from  attack.  He  sat  down  again 
looking  more  or  less  crushed  and  baffled,  —  and  Thord 
went  on. 

'  We  have  little  time  to  spend  together  to-night,  and 
none  to  waste.  Let  each  man  come  forward  now,  and  take 
his  chance,  —  remembering,  —  lest  his  courage  fail  him, 

—  that  whatever  work  is  given  him  to  do,  this  Committee 
are  sworn  to  stand  by  him  as  their  associate  and  comrade ! 

—  to  defend  him,  —  even  at  the  risk  of  their  own  lives ! 

—  and  to  share  completely  in  the  consequences  of  what- 
ever act  he  may  be  called  upon  to  perform  in  the  faithful 
following  of  his  duty !  Friends,  repeat  with  me  all  to- 
gether, the  Vow  of  Fealty  !  " 

At  once  every  man  rose,  —  and  all  lifting  their  right 
hands  on  high  repeated  in  steady  tones  the  following 
formula  after  their  Chief,  — 

'  We  swear  in  the  name  of  God,  and  by  the  eternal 
glory  of  Freedom !  That  whosoever  among  us  this  night 
shall  draw  the  Red  Cross  Signal  which  destines  him  to 
take  from  life,  a  life  proved  unworthy,  —  shall  be  to  us 
a  sacred  person,  and  an  object  of  defence  and  continued 
protection !  We  guarantee  to  shield  him  at  all  times  and 
under  all  circumstances ;  —  we  promise  to  fight  for  him 
against  the  utmost  combined  power  of  the  law  ;  —  we  are 
prepared  to  maintain  an  inviolate  silence  concerning  his 
movements,  his  actions  and  their  ultimate  result,  —  even 
to  the  sufferance  of  imprisonment,  punishment  and  death 
for  his  sake !  And  may  the  curse  of  the  Almighty  Creator 
of  Heaven  and  Earth  be  upon  us  and  our  children,  and 
our  children's  children,  if  we  break  this  vow.    Amen ! ': 

The  stern  and  impressive  intensity  with  which  these 
words  were  spoken  sent  a  slight  tremor  along  even  such 
steel-like  nerves  as  those  of  Pasquin  Leroy,  though  he 
repeated  the  formula  after  Sergius  Thord  with  the  atten- 
tive care  of  a  child  saying  a  lesson.     At  its  conclusion, 


"Fate  Gives  —  The  King!'        445 

however,  a  sudden  thought  flashed  through  his  brain 
which  brought  a  wonderful  smile  to  his  lips,  and  a  rare 
light  in  his  eyes,  and  touching  the  arm  of  Axel  Regor,  he 
whispered. 

"Could  anything  be  more  protective  to  me,  —  as  you 
know  me,  —  than  this  Vow  of  Fealty?  By  my  faith,  a 
right  loyal  vow  !  " 

The  man  he  so  questioned  looked  at  him  doubtfully. 
He  did  not  understand.  He  himself  had  repeated  the  vow 
mechanically  and  without  thought,  being  occupied  in 
serious  and  uncomfortable  meditation  as  to  what  possible 
dangerous  lengths  the  evening's  business  might  be  car- 
ried. And,  accustomed  as  he  now  was  to  the  varying  and 
brilliant  moods  of  one  whom  he  had  proved  to  be  of  most 
varying  and  brilliant  intelligence,  his  brain  was  not  quick 
enough  to  follow  the  lightning-like  speed  of  the  chain  of 
ideas,  —  all  moving  in  a  perfectly  organised  plan,  —  con- 
ceived by  this  daring,  scheming  and  original  brain,  which 
had  been  so  lately  roused  to  its  own  powers  and  set  in 
thinking,  working  order.  He  therefore  merely  expressed 
his  mind's  bewilderment  by  a  warning  glance  mingled 
with  alarm,  which  caused  Leroy  to  smile  again,  —  but 
the  scene  which  was  being  enacted,  now  demanded  their 
closest  attention,  and  they  had  no  further  opportunity  of 
exchanging  so  much  as  a  word. 

The  Vow  of  Fealty  being  duly  sworn,  Sergius  Thord 
stood  aside,  and  made  way  for  Lotys,  who,  rising  from 
her  seat,  lifted  the  funeral  urn  from  the  table  and  held  it 
out  towards  the  men.  She  made  a  strange  and  weird 
picture  standing  thus,  —  her  white  arms  gleaming  like 
sculptured  ivory  against  the  dark  bronze  of  the  metal 
vasej  —  her  gold  hair  touched  with  a  blood-like  hue  from 
the  reflection  of  the  red  lamp  behind  her,  —  and  her  face, 
—  infinitely  mournful  and  resigned,  —  wearing  the  ex- 
pression of  one  who,  forced  to  behold  evil,  has  no  active 
part  in  it.  As  she  took  up  her  position  in  the  front  of  the 
platform,  Thord  again  spoke. 

"  Let  each  man  now  advance  and  draw  his  fate !  Who- 
soever receives  a  blank  is  exempt  for  another  year ;  — 
whosoever  draws  the  name  of  a  victim  must  be  prepared 
to  do  his  duty !  " 

This  order  was  at  once  obeyed.     Each  man  rose  sepa- 


446  "Temporal  Power' 

rately  and  approaching  Lotys,  saluted  her  first,  and  then 
drew  a  folded  paper  from  the  vessel  she  held.  But  they 
moved  forward  reluctantly,  - —  and  most  of  their  faces 
were  very  pale.  When  Pasquin  Leroy's  turn  came  to 
draw,  he  raised  his  eyes  to  the  woman's  countenance  above 
him  and  marvelled  at  its  cold  fixity.  She  seemed  scarcely 
to  be  herself,  —  and  it  was  plainly  evident  that  the  part 
she  was  forced  to  play  in  the  evening's  drama  was  a  most 
reluctant  one. 

At  last  all  the  lots  were  taken,  and  Johan  Zegota  lit  up 
the  gas-burners  in  the  centre  of  the  room.  A  sigh  of  relief 
came  from  the  lips  of  many  of  the  men  who,  on  opening 
their  papers  found  a  blank  instead  of  a  name.  But  Leroy, 
unfolding  his,  sat  in  dumb  amazement,  —  feeling,  and  not 
for  the  first  time  either,  that  surely  God,  or  some  special 
Providence,  is  always  on  the  side  of  a  strong  man's  just 
aim,  fulfilling  it  to  entire  accomplishment.  For  to  him 
was  assigned  the  Red  Cross,  marked  with  the  name  of 
'  The  King ! '  The  words  of  Sergius  Thord,  uttered  that 
very  night,  rushed  back  on  his  mind;  —  "Whosoever 
draws  the  name  of  the  King  must  be  swift  and  sure  in 
his  business !  " 

His  heart  beat  high ;  he  occupied  at  that  moment  a 
position  no  man  in  all  the  world  had  ever  occupied  before ; 
—  he  was  the  centre  of  a  drama  such  as  had  never  before 
been  enacted,  —  he  had  the  greatest  move  to  play  on  the 
chess-board  of  life  that  could  possibly  be  desired ;  —  and 
the  greatest  chance  to  prove  himself  the  Man  he  was,  that 
had  ever  been  given  to  one  of  his  quality.  His  brain 
whirled,  —  his  pulses  throbbed,  —  his  eyes  rested  on  Lotys 
with  a  passionate  longing;  something  of  the  god-like  as 
well  as  the  heroic  warmed  his  soul,  —  for  Danger  and 
Death  stood  as  intimately  close  to  him  as  Safety  and  Vic- 
tory !  What  a  strange,  what  a  marvellous  card  he  held 
in  the  game  of  life!  —  and  yet  one  false  move  might 
mean  ruin  and  annihilation !  As  in  a  dream  he  saw  the 
members  of  the  Committee  go  up,  one  by  one,  to  Sergius 
Thord,  who,  as  each  laid  their  open  papers  before  him, 
declared  their  contents.  When  Paul  Zouche's  paper  was 
declared  he  was  found  to  have  drawn  Carl  Perousse, 
whereat  he  smiled  grimly ;  and  retired  to  his  seat,  walk- 
ing rather  unsteadily.    Max  Graub  had  drawn  a  blank,  — 


"Fate  Gives  —  The  King!'       447 

so  had  Axel  Regor,  —  so  had  Louis  Valdor  and  many 
others. 

At  last  it  came  to  Leroy's  turn,  and  as  he  walked  up  to 
the  platform  and  ascended  it,  there  was  a  look  on  his  face 
which  attracted  the  instant  attention  of  all  present.  His 
eyes  were  singularly  bright,  —  his  lithe  handsome  figure 
seemed  taller  and  more  erect,  —  he  bore  himself  with,  a 
proud,  even  grand  air,  —  and  Lotys,  moved  at  last  from 
her  chill  and  melancholy  apathy,  gazed  at  him  as  he  ap- 
proached, with  eyes  in  which  a  profound  sadness  was 
mingled  with  the  dark  tenderness  of  many  passionate 
thoughts  and  dreams.  He  laid  down  his  paper  before 
Thord,  who,  taking  it  up  read  aloud : 

"  Our  friend  and  comrade,  Pasquin  Leroy,  has  received 
the  Red  Cross  Signal." 

Then  pausing  before  uttering  his  next  words  he  raised 
his  voice  a  little,  so  that  he  might  be  heard  by  everyone  in 
the  room,  and  added  slowly : 

"  To  Pasquin  Leroy,  Fate  gives  —  the  King!  " 

A  low  murmur  of  deep  applause  ran  through  the  room. 
Max  Graub  and  Axel  Regor  sprang  up  with  a  kind  of 
smothered  cry,  but  Leroy  stood  immovable.  Instead  of 
returning  to  his  seat  as  the  others  had  done,  he  remained 
standing  on  the  platform  in  front  of  the  Committee  table, 
between  Lotys  and  Sergius  Thord.  A  strange  smile 
rested  on  his  lips,  —  his  attitude  was  inexplicable.  Sur- 
veying all  the  men's  faces  which  were  grouped  before  him 
in  a  kind  of  chiaro-oscuro,  he  studied  them  for  a  moment, 
and  then  turned  his  head  towards  Thord. 

"  Sergius,  —  so  far,  I  have  served  you  well !  Destiny 
has  now  chosen  me  out  for  even  a  greater  service !  May 
I  speak  a  few  words  ?  " 

Thord  assented,  —  but  a  sudden  sense  of  inquietude 
stirred  in  him  as  he  saw  that  Lotys  had  half  risen,  that  her 
lips  quivered,  and  that  great  tears  stood  in  her  eyes. 

''  She  grieves !  "  he  thought,  sullenly,  in  his  strange 
and  confused  way  of  balancing  justice  and  injustice  — 
"  She  grieves  that  the  worthless  life  of  the  King  she  saved, 
is  now  to  be  taken  by  a  righteous  hand !  " 

Meanwhile  Leroy  faced  the  assembly. 

"  Comrades !  "  he  said  ;  '  This  is  the  first  time  I  have 
assisted  in  the  work  of  your  Day  of  Fate,  —  the  first  time 


»» 


448  "Temporal  Power 

I  have  recognised  how  entirely  Providence  moves  with 
you  and  for  you  in  the  ruling  of  your  destinies !  And  be- 
cause it  is  the  first  time,  our  Chief  permits  me  to  address 
you  with  the  same  fraternal  liberty  which  was  allowed  to 
me  on  the  night  I  became  enrolled  among  you,  as  one  of 
you!  Since  then,  I  have  done  my  best  to  serve  yoiii — " 
here  he  was  interrupted  by  applause  —  "  and  so  far  as 
it  has  been  humanly  possible,  I  have  endeavoured  to  carry 
out  your  views  and  desires  because,  —  though  many  of 
them  spring  from  pure  idealism,  and  are,  I  fear,  impos- 
sible of  realisation  in  this  world,  —  they  contain  the  seed 
of  much  useful  and  necessary  reform  in  many  institutions 
of  this  country.  I  have  —  as  I  promised  you  —  shaken 
the  stronghold  of  Carl  Perousse ;  "  —  again  the  applause 
broke  out,  none  the  less  earnest  because  it  was  restrained. 
'  I  have  destroyed  the  press-power  and  prestige  of  that 
knavish  Jew-speculator  in  false  news,  David  Jost ;  and 
wherever  the  wishes  of  this  Society  could  be  fulfilled,  I 
have  honestly  sought  to  fulfil  them.  On  this  night,  of  all 
nights  in  the  year,  I  should  like  to  feel,  and  to  know,  that 
you  acknowledge  me  as  your  true  comrade  and  faithful 
friend !  " 

At  this,  the  whole  of  the  company  gave  vent  to  an  out- 
burst of  cheering. 

'  Do  you  doubt  our  love,  that  you  ask  of  it  ?  —  or  our 
gratitude  that  you  seek  to  have  it  expressed?  "  said  Thord, 
leaning  forward  to  clasp  his  hand ;  —  "  Surely  you  know 
you  have  given  new  life  and  impetus  to  our  work !  —  and 
that  you  have  gained  fresh  triumph  for  our  Cause !  " 

Leroy  smiled,  —  but  though  returning  his  grasp  cor- 
dially, he  said  nothing  to  him  in  person  by  way  of  reply, 
evidently  preferring  rather  to  address  the  whole  com- 
munity than  one,  even  though  that  one  was  his  acknowl- 
edged Chief. 

'  I  thank  you  all !  "  he  said  in  response  to  the  acclama- 
tions around  him.  "  I  thank  you  for  so  heartily  acknowl- 
edging me  as  your  fellow-worker !  I  thank  you  for  giving 
me  your  confidence  and  employing  my  services !  To- 
night —  the  most  important  night  of  my  destiny  —  Fate 
has  determined  that  I  shall  perform  the  greatest  task  of 
all  you  have  ever  allotted  to  me ;  and  that  with  swiftness 
and  sureness  in  the  business  I  shall  kill  the  King !    He  is 


"Fate  Gives  —  The  King!'        449 

my  marked  victim !  I  am  his  chosen  assassin  !  "  Here 
interrupting  himself  with  a  bright  smile,  he  said :  '  Will 
someone  restrain  my  two  friends,  Max  Graub  and  Axel 
Regor  from  springing  out  of  their  seats?  They  are  both 
extremely  envious  of  the  task  which  has  been  allotted  to 
me !  —  both  are  disappointed  that  it  did  not  fall  to  them  to 
perform,  —  but  I  am  not  in  the  humour  for  arguing  so 
nice  a  point  of  honour  with  them  just  now !  ': 

A  laugh  went  round  the  company,  and  the  two  delin- 
quents thus  called  to  order,  and  who  had  really  been  seek- 
ing in  quite  a  wild  and  aimless  way,  to  scramble  out  of 
their  seats  and  make  for  the  platform,  resumed  their  places 
with  heads  bent  low,  lest  those  around  them  should  see 
the  deadly  pallor  of  their  countenances.     Leroy  resumed. 

"  I  rejoice,  friends  and  comrades,  that  I  have  been 
elected  to  the  high  task  of  removing  from  the  Throne  one 
who  has  long  been  unworthy  of  it !  —  one  who  has  wasted 
his  opportunities  both  in  youth  and  middle-age,  —  and 
who,  by  his  own  fault  in  a  great  measure,  has  lost  much 
of  the  love  and  confidence  of  his  people !  I  am  glad  and 
proud  to  be  the  one  chosen  to  put  an  end  to  the  career  of 
a  monarch  whose  vices  and  follies  —  which  might  have 
suited  a  gambler  and  profligate  —  are  entirely  unbecom- 
ing to  the  Sovereign  Ruler  of  a  great  Realm !  I  shall 
have  no  fear  in  carrying  out  my  appointed  duty  to  the 
letter !  I  here  declare  my  acceptance  of  whatever  punish- 
ment may  be  visited  on  one  who  removes  from  life  a  King 
who  brings  kingliness  into  contempt !  And,  —  as  our 
Chief,  Sergius  Thord,  suggested  to-night,  —  I  shall  be 
swift  and  sure  in  the  business !  —  there  shall  be  no 
delay !  " 

Here,  as  he  spoke  he  drew  a  pistol  from  his  pocket  and 
turned  the  muzzle  towards  himself,  —  at  which  unex- 
pected action  there  was  a  hasty  movement  of  surprise, 
terror  and  confusion  among  the  company. 

''Gentlemen  all!  Friends!  Brothers!  —  as  you  have 
been,  —  and  are  to  me,  —  by  the  binding  of  our  compact 
in  the  name  of  Lotys !  It  is  the  determination  of  destiny, 
—  as  it  is  your  desire,  —  that  I  should  kill  the  King !  You 
have  resolved  upon  it.  You  are  sure  that  his  death  will 
benefit  the  country.  You  have  decided  not  to  take  into 
consideration  any  of  his  possible  good  qualities,  or  to  pity 

29 


450         "Temporal  Power' 

any  of  the  probable  sorrows  and  difficulties  besetting  him 
in  the  uneasy  position  he  is  compelled  to  occupy.  You  are 
quite  certain  among  yourselves,  that  somehow  or  other 
his  removal  will  bring  about  that  ideal  condition  of  society 
which  many  philosophers  have  written  of,  and  which 
many  reformers  have  desired,  but  which  has  till  now, 
proved  itself  incapable  of  being  realised.  The  King's 
death,  you  think,  will  better  all  existing  conditions,  and 
you  wish  me  to  fulfil  not  only  the  call  of  destiny,  but  your 
own  desire.  Be  it  so !  I  am  ready  to  obey !  I  will  kill 
the  King  at  once!  —  here  and  now!     I  am  the  King!  " 


CHAPTER    XXIX 

THE    COMRADE   OF    HIS    FOES 

THIS  bold  declaration,  boldly  spoken,  had  the  start- 
ling effect  of  a  sudden  and  sharp  flash  of  lightning 
in  dense  darkness.  Amazement  and  utter  stupefaction 
held  every  man  for  the  moment  paralysed.  Had  a  volcano 
suddenly  opened  beneath  their  feet  and  belched  forth  its 
floods  of  fire  and  lava,  it  could  not  have  rendered  them 
more  helplessly  stricken  and  speechless. 

"  I  am  the  King !  " 

The  words  appeared  to  blaze  on  the  air  before  them,  — 
like  the  handwriting  on  the  wall  at  Belshazzar's  feast. 
The  King !  He,  —  their  friend,  their  advocate,  he  — 
Pasquin  Leroy,  —  the  most  obedient,  the  most  daring  and 
energetic  of  all  the  workers  in  their  Cause  —  he  —  even 
he  —  was  the  King !  Was  it,  —  could  it  be  possible ! 
Their  eyes  —  all  riveted  in  fearful  fascination  upon  him 
as  he  stood  before  them  wholly  at  their  mercy,  but  cool, 
dauntless,  and  smilingly  ready  to  die,  — .had  the  wild 
uncomprehending  stare  of  delirium;  —  the  silence  in  the 
room  was  intense,  breathless  and  terrible.  Suddenly, 
like  a  lion  roused,  Sergius  Thord,  with  a  half-savage 
movement,  sprang  forward  and  seized  him  roughly  by 
the  arm. 

"  You,  —  you  are  the  King?  "  he  said  ;  "  You,  -  -  Pas- 
quin Leroy?  "  and  struggling  for  breath,  his  words  almost 
choked  him.  "You!  "Enemy  in  the  guise  of  friend! 
You  have  fooled  us  !    You  have  deceived  us — you ! " 

"  Take  care,  Sergius !  "  said  the  monarch  smiling,  as  he 
gently  disengaged  himself  from  the  fierce  hand  that 
clutched  him  ;  "  This  pistol  is  loaded,  —  not  to  shoot  you 
with  !  —  but  myself  !  —  at  your  command !  It  would  be 
unfortunate  if  it  went  off  and  killed  the  wrong  man  by 
accident !  " 

His  indomitable  courage  was  irresistible ;    and  Thord, 


452         "Temporal  Power' 

relaxing  his  grasp,  fell  back  in  something  like  awe.  And 
then  the  spell  of  horror  and  amazement  that  had  struck 
the  rest  of  the  assemblage  dumb,  broke  all  at  once  into 
a  sort  of  wild-beast  clamour.  Every  man  '  rushed  '  for 
the  platform  —  and  Max  Graub  and  Axel  Regor,  taking 
swift  and  conscious  possession  of  their  true  personalities 
as  Professor  von  Glauben  and  Sir  Roger  de  Launay, 
fought  silently  and  determinedly  to  keep  back  the  crowd- 
ing hands  that  threatened  instant  violence  to  the  person 
of  their  Royal  master. 

A  complete  hubbub  and  confusion  reigned ;  —  cries  of 
"Traitor!"  and  "Spy!"  were  hurled  from  one  voice 
to  another ;  but  before  a  single  member  of  the  Committee 
could  reach  the  spot  where  stood  the  undaunted  Sover- 
eign whom  they  had  so  lately  idolised  as  their  friend  and 
helper,  and  whom  they  were  now  ready  to  tear  to  pieces, 
Lotys  flung  herself  in  front  of  him,  while  at  the  same 
moment  she  snatched  the  pistol  he  held  from  his  hand, 
and  fired  it  harmlessly  into  the  air.  The  loud  report  — 
the  flash  of  fire,  —  startled  all  the  men,  who  gaped  upon 
her,  thunderstruck. 

"  Through  me !  "  she  cried,  her  blue  eyes  flashing 
glorious  menace  ;  "Through  me  your  shots  !  Through  me 
your  daggers  !  On  me  your  destroying  hands  !  Through 
my  body  alone  shall  you  reach  this  King!  Stand  back 
all  of  you !  What  would  you  do  ?  King  or  commoner, 
he  is  your  comrade  and  associate !  Sovereign  or  servant, 
he  is  the  bravest  man  among  you !  Touch  him  who  dare ! 
Remember  your  Vow  of  Fealty!" 

Transfigured  into  an  almost  sublime  beauty  by  the 
fervour  of  her  emotion,  she  looked  the  supreme  incar- 
nation of  inspired  womanhood,  and  the  infuriated  men 
fell  back,  dismayed  and  completely  overwhelmed  by 
the  strong  conviction  of  her  words,  and  the  amazing 
situation  in  which  they  found  themselves. 

It  was  true !  —  he,  the  King,  —  whom  they  bad  ac- 
cepted and  known  as  Pasquin  Leroy,  —  was  verilv  their 
own  comrade!  He  had  proved  himself  a  thousand  times 
their  friend  and  helper !  —  they  had  sworn  to  defend  him 
at  the  cost  of  their  own  lives,  if  need  be,  —  to  shelter 
and  protect  him  in  all  circumstances,  and  to  accept  all 
the  consequences  of  whatever  danger  he  might  run  in 


The  Comrade  of  His  Foes      453 

the  performance  of  his  duty.  His  duty  now,  —  according 
to  the  fatal  drawing  of  lots,  —  was  that  he  should  kill 
the  King;  and  he  had  declared  himself  ready  to  fulfil 
the  task  by  killing  himself !  Hut  —  as  he  was  their  com- 
rade—  they  were  bound  in  honour  to  guard  his  life! 

These  bewildering  and  maddening  thoughts  coursed 
liice  fire  through  the  brain  of  Sergius  Thord,  —  the  while 
his  eyes,  grown  suddenly  dark  and  bloodshot,  rested 
wonderingly  on  the  tall  upright  figure  of  the  monarch, 
standing  quietly  face  to  face  with  the  blood-thirsty  Rev- 
olutionary Committee,  entirely  unmoved  by  their  fierce 
and  lowering  looks,  and  on  Lotys,  white,  beautiful  and 
breathless,  kneeling  at  his  feet !  A  crushing  sense  of 
impotence  and  failure  rushed  over  his  soul  like  a  storm 
wave,  —  his  brain  grew  thick  with  the  hurrying  confu- 
sion, and  a  great  cry,  like  that  of  a  wounded  animal,  broke 
from  his  lips. 

"  My  God !  My  God !  All  my  life's  work  lost  in  a 
single  moment !  " 

The  King  heard.  Gently,  and  with  careful  courtesy, 
raising  Lotys  from  the  position  in  which  she  had  thrown 
herself  to  guard  him  from  attack  for  the  second  time,  he 
pressed  her  hands  tenderly  in  his  own. 

"Trust  me!"  he  whispered;  "Have  no  fear!  Not  a 
man  among  them  will  touch  me  now !  " 

With  a  slight  gesture  he  signed  her  back  to  the  chair 
she  had  previously  occupied.  She  sank  into  it,  trembling 
from  head  to  foot,  but  her  eyes  feverishly  brilliant  and 
watchful,  were  widely  open  and  alert,  ready  to  note  the 
least  movement  or  look  that  indicated  further  danger. 
Then  the  King  addressed  himself  to  Thord. 

"  Sergius,  I  am  entirely  in  your  hands !  I  wait  your 
word  of  command  !  Yon  are  armed,  —  all  my  compan- 
ions here  are  armed  also !  But  Lotys  has  deprived  me 
of  the  only  weapon  I  possessed,  —  though  there  are  plenty 
more  in  the  room  to  be  had  on  loan.  What  sav  you? 
Shall  I  kill  the  King?    Or  will  you?  " 

Thord  was  silent.  A  strong  shudder  shook  his  frame. 
The  King  laid  a  firm  hand  on  his  shoulder. 

'Friend!'  he  said  in  a  low  voice;  "Believe  me,  I 
am  your  friend  more  than  ever !  —  you  never  had,  and 
never  will  have  a  truer  one  than  I !    All  your  life's  work 


454  "Temporal  Power" 

lost,  you  say  ?  Nay,  not  so !  It  is  gained !  You  con- 
quered the  People  before  I  knew  you,  —  and  now  you 
have  conquered  the  People's  King !  " 

Slowly  Thord  raised  his  great,  dark,  passionate  eyes, 
clouded  black  with  thoughts  which  could  find  no  adequate 
expression.  The  look  in  them  went  straight  to  the  mon- 
arch's heart.  Baffled  ambition,  —  the  hunger  of  great- 
ness, —  the  desire  to  do  something  that  should  raise  his 
soul  above  such  common  ruck  of  human  emmets  as  make 
of  the  earth  the  merest  ant-hill  whereon  to  eat  and  breed 
and  die ;  —  all  this  pent-up  emotion  swam  luminously 
in  the  fierce  bright  orbs,  which  like  mirrors,  reflected  the 
picture  of  the  troubled  mind  within.  The  suppressed 
power  of  the  man,  who,  apart  from  his  confused  notions 
of  '  liberty,  equality,  and  fraternity  '  could  resort  to  the 
sternest  and  most  self-endangering  measures  for  destroy- 
ing what  he  considered  the  abuses  of  the  law,  had  moved 
the  King,  while  disguised  as  Pasquin  Leroy,  to  the  pro- 
foundest  admiration  for  his  bold  character; — but  perhaps 
he  was  never  more  moved  than  at  this  supreme  moment, 
when,  hopelessly  entangled  in  a  net  of  most  unexpected 
weaving,  the  redoubtable  Socialist  had  to  confess  himself 
vanquished  by  the  simple  friendship  and  service  of  the. 
very  monarchy  he  sought  to  destroy. 

:'  Sergius,"  said  the  King  again,  —  "  Trust  me !  Trust 
me  as  your  Sovereign,  with  the  same  trust  that  you  gave 
to  me  as  your  comrade,  Pasquin !  For  I  am  still  your 
comrade,  remember!  Nothing  can  undo  the  oath  that 
binds  me  to  you  and  to  the  People !  I  have  not  become 
one  of  you  to  betray  you ;  but  to  serve  you !  Our  pres- 
ent position  is  certainly  a  strange  one !  —  for  by  the 
tenets  you  hold,  we  should  be  sworn  opponents,  instead 
of,  as  we  are,  sworn  friends !  Political  agitators  would 
have  set  us  one  against  the  other  for  their  own  selfish 
ends ;  as  matters  stand,  we  are  united  in  the  People's 
Cause ;  and  I  may  perhaps  do  you  more  good  living  than 
dead !  Give  me  a  chance  to  serve  you  even  better  than 
I  have  done  as  yet!  Still,  —  if  you  judge  my  death 
would  be  an  advantage  to  the  country,  —  you  have  but 
to  say  the  word !  I  have  sworn,  —  and  I  am  ready  to 
carry  out  the  full  accomplishment  of  my  vow !  Do  you 
understand?     You  are,  by  the  rules  of  this  Committee 


The  Comrade  of  His  Foes      455 

my  Chief !  —  there  are  no  kings  here ;  and  I  am  good 
soldier  enough  to  obey  orders  !  It  is  for  you  to  speak !  — 
straightly,  plainly,  and  at  once,  —  to  the  Committee,  — 
and  to  me  !  " 

"  Before  God,  you  are  brave!  "  muttered  Thord,  gaz- 
ing at  him  in  reluctant  admiration.  "  So  brave,  that  it 
is  almost  impossible  to  believe  that  you  can  be  a  King!  " 

He  smiled. 

"  Speak!  Speak,  my  friend!  "  he  urged;  "  Our  com- 
rades are  watching  our  conference  like  famished  tigers ! 
Give  them  food  !  " 

Thus  adjured,  Thord  advanced,  and  confronted  the 
murmuring,  gesticulating  crowd  of  men,  some  of  whom 
were  wrathfully  expostulating  with  Johan  Zegota,  because 
he  declined  to  unlock  the  door  of  the  room  and  let  them 
out,  till  he  had  received  his  Chief's  commands  to  do  so. 
Others  were  grouped  round  Paul  Zouche,  who  had  sat  ap- 
parently stricken  immovable  in  his  chair  ever  since  the 
King  had  declared  his  identity ;  and  others  showed  them- 
selves somewhat  inclined  to  '  hustle  '  Sir  Roger  de  Launay 
and  Professor  von  Glauben,  who  guarded  the  approach 
to  the  platform  like  sentinels,  —  though  they  were  dis- 
creet enough  to  show  no  weapons  of  defence. 

"  Comrades !  " 

The  rich,  deep  voice  of  their  leader  thrilled  through  the 
room,  and  brought  them  all  to  silence  and  attention. 

"  Comrades  !  "  said  Thord  slowly,  —  his  accents  vi- 
brating with  the  deepest  emotion.  '  I  desire  and  com- 
mand you  all  to  be  satisfied  that  no  wrong  has  been  done 
to  you !  I  ask  you  all  to  understand,  fully  and  surely, 
that  no  wrong  is  intended  to  you !  The  man  whom  we 
have  loved,  —  the  man  who  has  served  us  faithfully  as 
Pasquin  Leroy,  —  is  still  the  same  man,  though  the  King ! 
Rank  cannot  alter  his  proved  friendship  and  service,  — 
nor  kingship  break  his  bond !  He  is  one  of  us,  —  signed 
and  sealed  in  the  blood  of  Lotys ;  —  and  as  one  of  us  he 
must,  and  will  remain  !  Have  I  spoken  truly  ?  "  he  added, 
turning  to  the  King,  "  or  is  there  more  that  I  should 
say  ?  " 

Before  any  reply  could  be  given  a  hubbub  of  voices 
cried :  — 

"  Explain  !    Confess  !     Bind  him  to  his  oath  !  '' 


45 6  "Temporal  Power' 

Whereat  the  King,  stepping  forward  a  pace  or  two, 
confronted  his  would-be  doubters  and  detractors  with  a 
dauntless  composure. 

"Explain?  Confess?  Friends,  I  will  do  both!  but 
for  binding  me  to  my  oath,  there  is  no  need,  —  for  it  is 
too  strong  a  compact  of  faith  and  friendship  ever  to  be 
broken!  Would  you  have  me  remind  you  of  your  Vow 
of  Fealty  pronounced  so  solemnly  this  evening?  Did 
you  not  swear  that  '  Whosoever  among  us  this  night 
shall  draw  the  Red  Cross  Signal  which  destines  him  to 
take  from  life  a  life  proved  unworthy,  shall  be  to  us  a 
sacred  person,  and  an  object  of  defence  and  continued 
protection  '  ?  As  Pasquin  Leroy,  this  vow  applied  to 
me,  —  as  King,  I  ask  no  better  or  stronger  pledge  of 
loyalty!  " 

All  eyes  were  fixed  upon  him  as  he  spoke.  For  some 
moments  there  was  a  dead  silence. 

This  silence  was  presently  broken  by  a  murmur  of  con- 
flicting wonder,  impatience  and  uncertainty,  —  deepen- 
ing as  it  ran,  —  and  then,  —  as  the  full  situation  became 
more  and  more  apparent,  coupled  with  the  smiling  and 
heroic  calm  of  the  monarch  who  had  thus  placed  himself 
voluntarily  in  the  hands'  of  his  sworn  enemies,  all  their 
struggling  passions  were  suddenly  merged  in  one  great 
wave  of  natural  and  human  admiration  for  a  brave  man 
and  a  burst  of  impetuous  cheering  broke  impulsively  from 
every  lip.  Once  started,  the  infection  caught  on  like  a 
fever,  —  and  again  and  yet  again  the  excited  Revolu- 
tionists cheered  '  for  the  King !  '  —  till  they  made  the 
room  echo. 

The  tumult  was  extraordinary.  Lotys  sat  silent,  with 
clasped  hands,  her  eyes  dilated  with  feverish  watchful- 
ness and  excitement,  —  the  tempest  of  emotion  in  her  own 
poor  tortured  soul,  being  of  such  a  character  which  no 
words,  no  tears,  no  exclamations  could  possibly  relieve. 
The  memory  of  her  interview  with  the  King  in  his  own 
Palace  flashed  across  her  like  a  scene  limned  in  fire.  She 
had  no  power  to  think  —  she  was  simply  stunned  and 
overwhelmed,  —  and  held  only  one  idea  in  her  mind, 
and  that  was  to  save  him  at  all  costs,  even  at  the  sacrifice 
of  her  own  life.  Thord,  carried  away  from  his  very  self 
by  the   force  of  such  a  '  Revolution  '  as  he  had  never 


The  Comrade  of  His  Foes      457 

planned  or  anticipated,  stood  more  in  the  attitude  of  one 
who  was  trying  to  think,  rather  than  of  one  who  was 
thinking. 

"  For  the  King!  "  cried  Johan  Zegota,  suddenly  giving 
vent  to  the  feelings  he  had  long  kept  in  check,  —  feelings 
which  had  made  him  a  greater  admirer  of  the  so-called 
"  Pasquin  Leroy  "  than  of  Thord  himself;  —  "For  our 
sworn  comrade,  the  King!  " 

Again  the  cheers  broke  out,  to  be  redoubled  in  intensity 
when  Louis  Valdor  added  his  voice  to  the  rest  and  ex- 
claimed : 

"  For  the  first  real  King  I  have  ever  known !  " 

Then  the  excitement  rose  to  its  zenith,  —  and  amidst 
the  tempest  of  applause,  the  King  himself  stood  quiet, 
watching  the  turbulence  with  the  thoughtful  eyes  of  a 
student  who  seeks  to  unravel  some  difficult  problem. 
Raising  his  hand  gently,  he,  by  this  gesture  created  im- 
mediate silence,  —  and  so,  in  this  hush  remained  for  an 
instant,  leaning  slightly  against  the  Committee  Table, 
draped  as  it  was  in  its  funereal  black,  —  the  lights  at 
either  end  of  it,  and  the  red  lamp  in  its  centre  flinging 
an  unearthly  radiance  on  his  fine  composed  features. 
Long,  long  afterwards,  his  faithful  servants,  Sir  Roger 
de  Launay  and  Heinrich  von  Glauben  retained  a  mental 
picture  of  him  in  that  attitude,  —  the  dauntless  smile 
upon  his  lips,  —  the  dreamful  look  in  his  eyes,  —  resting, 
as  it  seemed  against  a  prepared  funeral-bier,  with  the 
watch-lights  burning  for  burial,  —  and  the  face  of  Lotys, 
pale  as  a  marble  mask,  yet  wearing  an  expression  of 
mingled  triumph  and  agony,  shining  near  him  like  a  star 
amid  the  gloom,  while  the  tall  form  of  Sergius  Thord 
in  the  background  loomed  large,  —  a  shadow  of  impend- 
ing evil. 

After  a  pause,  he  spoke. 

"  Comrades !  I  thank  you  for  the  expressed  renewal 
of  your  trust  in  me.  In  my  heart  and  soul,  as  a  man,  I 
am  one  of  you  and  with  you :  —  even  though  fate  has 
made  me  a  king !  You  demand  an  explanation  —  a  con- 
fession. You  shall  have  both !  When  I  enrolled  myself 
as  a  member  of  your  Committee,  I  did  so  in  all  honesty 
and  honour,  —  wishing  to  discover  the  object  of  your 
Cause,  and  prepared  to  aid  it  if  I  found  it  worthy.    When 


45 8  "Temporal  Power' 

I  sealed  my  compact  with  you  in  the  blood  of  Lotys,  the 
Angel  of  our  Covenant,"  —  here  the  cheering  again  broke 
out,  —  and  Lotys,  turning  aside,  endeavoured  to  restrain 
the  tears  that  threatened  to  fall ;  —  then,  as  silence  was 
restored,  he  resumed ;  —  "  When  as  I  say,  I  did  this,  — 
you  will  remember  that  pn  being  asked  of  my  origin  and 
country,  I  answered  that  I  was  a  slave.  I  spoke  truly! 
There  is  no  greater  slave  in  all  the  length  and  breadth  of 
the  world  than  a  king!  Bound  by  the  chains  of  conven- 
tion and  custom,  he  is  coerced  more  violently  than  any 
prisoner,  —  his  lightest  word  is  misunderstood  —  his 
smallest  action  is  misconstrued,  —  his  very  looks  are 
made  the  subject  of  comment  —  and  whether  he  walks 
or  stands,  —  sits  to  give  wearisome  audience,  or  lies  down 
to  forget  his  sorrows  in  sleep,  he  should  assuredly  be 
an  object  of  the  deepest  pity  and  consideration,  instead 
of  being  as  he  often  is,  a  target  for  the  arrows  of  slander, 
—  a  pivot  round  which  to  move  the  wheel  of  social  evil 
and  misrule!  The  name  of  Freedom  sounds  sweet  in 
your  ears,  my  friends !  —  how  sweet  it  is  —  how  dear  it 
is,  we  all  know !  You  are  ready  to  fight  for  it  —  to  die 
for  it!  Then  remember,  all  of  you,  that  it  is  a  glory 
utterly  unknown  to  a  king!  Were  he  to  take  sword  in 
hand  and  do  battle  for  it  unto  the  death,  he  could  never 
obtain  it;  —  he  might  win  it  for  his  country,  but  never 
for  himself !  Nothing  so  glorious  as  Liberty !  —  you 
cry !  True  !  —  but  kings  are  prisoners  from  the  moment 
they  ascend  thrones !  And  you  never  set  them  free,  save 
in  the  way  you  suggested  this  evening ;  "  and  he  smiled, 
"  which  way  is  still  open  to  you  —  and  —  to  me !  But 
while  you  take  time  to  consider  whether  I  shall  or  shall 
not  fulfil  the  duty  which  the  drawing  of  lots  on  this  Day 
of  Fate  has  assigned  to  me,  —  whether  you,  on  your  parts, 
will  or  will  not  maintain  the  Vow  of  Fealty  which  we  all 
have  sworn  together,  —  I  will  freely  declare  to  you  the 
motives  which  led  me  to  depart  from  the  conventional 
rule  and  formality  of  a  merely  '  Royal '  existence,  and  to 
become  as  a  Man  among  men,  —  for  once  at  least  in  the 
history  of  modern  sovereigns !  " 

He  paused,  —  every  eye  was  fixed  upon  him ;  and  the 
stillness  was  so  intense  that  the  lightest  breath  might  be 
heard. 


The  Comrade  of  His  Foes      459 

'  I  came  to  the  Throne  three  years  ago,"  he  resumed, 
"  and  I  accepted  its  responsibilities  with  reluctance.  As 
Heir-Apparent,  you  all  know,  or  think  you  know,  my 
career;  for  some  of  you  have  very  freely  expressed  your 
convictions  concerning  it !  It  was  discreditable,  —  ac- 
cording to  the  opinions  formed  and  expressed  by  this 
Committee.  No  doubt  it  was !  Let  any  man  among  you 
occupy  my  place  ;  —  and  be  surrounded  by  the  same  temp- 
tations, —  and  th«n  comport  himself  wisely  —  if  he  can ! 
Such  an  one  would  need  to  be  either  god  or  hero ; 
and  I  profess  to  be  neither.  But  I  do  not  wish  to  pal- 
liate or  deny  the  errors  of  the  past.  The  present  is 
my  concern,  —  the  present  time,  and  the  present  People. 
Great  changes  are  fermenting  in  the  world ;  and  of  these 
changes,  especially  of  those  directly  affecting  our  own 
country,  I  became  actively  conscious,  shortly  after  I 
ascended  the  Throne.  I  heard  of  disaffections,  —  dis- 
loyalties ;  I  gathered  that  the  Ministry  were  suspected 
of  personal  self-aggrandisement.  I  learned  that  a  disas- 
trous policy  was  on  foot  respecting  National  Education  — 
in  which  priestcraft  would  be  given  every  advantage, 
and  Jesuitry  obtain  undue  influence  over  the  minds  of  the 
rising  generation.  I  heard,  —  I  studied,  —  and  finding 
that  I  could  get  no  true  answer  on  any  point  at  issue  from 
anyone  of  my  supposed  '  reliable  '  ministers,  I  resolved 
to  discover  things  for  myself.  I  found  out  that  the  dis- 
affected portion  of  the  metropolis  was  chiefly  under  the 
influence  of  Sergius  Thord  —  and  accordingly  I  placed 
myself  in  his  way,  and  became  enrolled  among  you  as 
'  Pasquin  Leroy  '  ;  his  sworn  associate.  I  am  his  sworn 
associate  still !  I  am  proud  that  he  should  call  me  friend  ; 
—  and  even  as  we  have  worked  already  for  the  People, 
so  we  will  work  still  —  together !  " 

No  restraint  could  have  availed  to  check  the  wild  plau- 
dits that  broke  out  afresh  at  these  words.  Still  thought- 
fully and  with  grave  kindness  contemplating  all  the  eager 
and  excited  faces  upturned  to  him,  the  King  went  on. 

'  You  know  nearly  all  the  rest.  As  Pasquin  Leroy,  I 
discovered  all  the  shameful  speculations  with  the  public 
money,  carried  on  by  Carl  Perousse,  —  and  found  that 
so  far,  at  any  rate,  your  accusations  against  him  were 
founded  in   fact.     At  the  first  threatening  suspicion  of 


460  "Temporal  Power' 

possible  condemnation  the  Marquis  de  Lutera  resigned, 

—  thus  evidencing  his  guilty  participation  in  the  intended 
plunder.  A  false  statement  printed  by  David  Jost,  stating 
that  I,  —  the  King,  —  had  revoked  my  decision  concern- 
ing the  refusal  of  land  to  the  Jesuits,  caused  me  to 
announce  the  truth  of  my  own  action  myself,  in  the  rival 
newspaper.  Of  my  excommunication  from  the  Church 
it  is  unnecessary  to  speak ;  a  man  is  not  injured  in  God's 
sight  by  that  merely  earthly  ban.     Among  other  things  " 

—  and  he  smiled,  —  "I  found  myself  curiously  possessed 
of  a  taste  for  literature !  —  and  proved,  that  whereas  some 
few  monarchs  of  my  acquaintance  cannot  be  quite  sure 
of  their  spelling,  I  could,  at  a  pinch,  make  myself  fairly 
well  understood  by  the  general  public,  as  a  skilled  writer 
of  polemics  against  myself !  —  as  well  as  against  the  Sec- 
retary of  State.  This,  so  far  as  I  personally  am  con- 
cerned, has  been  the  humorous  side  of  my  little  drama 
of  disguise !  —  for  sometimes  I  have  had  serious  thoughts 
of  appearing  as  a  rival  to  our  friend,  Paul  Zouche,  in 
the  lists  of  literary  Fame !  " 

A  murmur  of  wondering  laughter  ran  round  the  room, 

—  and  all  heads  were  turned  to  one  corner,  as  the  King, 
with  the  kindly  smile  still  lighting  up  his  eyes  and  lips, 
called : 

"  Zouche,  are  you  there?    Do  you  hear  me?  " 

Zouche  did  hear.  He  had  been  sitting  in  a  state  of 
semi-stupor  all  the  evening,  —  his  chaotic  mind  utterly 
confused  and  bewildered  by  the  events  which  had  taken 
place;  —  but  now,  on  being  called,  his  usual  audacious 
and  irrepressible  spirit  came  to  his  aid,  and  he  answered : 

"  O  King,  I  hear!  O  King,  your  Majesty  would  make 
the  deaf  to  hear,  and  the  dumb  to  speak !  And  if  there 
is  anything  to  be  done  to  me  for  abominating  you,  O 
King,  who  had  the  impudence  to  offer  me  a  hundred 
gold  pieces  a  year  for  my  poems,  I,  O  King,  will  submit 
to  the  utmost  terrors  of  the  law !  " 

A  burst  of  laughter  long  and  loud,  relieved  the  pent-up 
feelings  of  the  company.  The  King  laughed  as  heartily 
as  the  rest,  and  over  the  brooding  features  of  Thord 
himself  came  the  shadow  of  a  smile. 

'  We  will  settle  our  accounts  together  later  on, 
Zouche !  "  said  the  monarch  gaily ;  "  Meanwhile,  I  beg 


The  Comrade  of  His  Foes      461 

you  to  continue  your  harmless  abomination  of  me  at  your 
leisure!  " 

Another  laugh  went  round,  and  then  the  King  resuming 
his  speech  continued : 

'  I  have  played  two  parts  at  once,  —  Revolutionist  and 
King!  But  both  parts  are  after  all  but  two  sides  of  the 
same  nature.  When  I  first  came  among  you,  I  bade  you 
all  look  at  me  well,  —  I  asked  you  to  note  the  resemblance 
I  bore  to  the  ruling  Sovereign.  I  called  myself  '  the 
living  copy  of  the  man  I  most  despise.'  That  was  quite 
true !  For  there  is  no  one  I  despise  more  utterly  than 
myself,  —  when  I  think  what  I  might  have  done  with  my 
million  opportunities,  and  how  much  time  I  have  wasted ! 
You  all  scrutinised  me  closely ;  —  and  I  did  not  flinch ! 
You  all  accepted  my  service,  —  and  T  have  served  you 
well !  I  have  noted  every  one  of  your  desires.  Where 
possible,  I  have  sought  to  fulfil  them.  Every  accusation 
you  have  brought  against  the  Ministry  has  been  sifted  to 
the  bottom,  and  proved  down  to  the  hilt.  My  publicly- 
proclaimed  decision  to  nominate  Carl  Perousse  as  Premier 
was  merely  thrown  out  as  a  test  to  try  the  temper  and 
quality  of  the  nation.  That  test  has  answered  its  purpose 
well !  But  there  is  no  need  for  fear,  —  Carl  Perousse  will 
never  be  nominated  to  anything  but  disgrace !  All  his 
schemes  are  in  my  hand,  —  I  hold  complete  documentary 
proofs  of  his  dishonesty  and  guilt ;  and  the  very  day 
which  you  have  chosen  as  that  on  which  to  appeal  to 
the  King  against  the  choice  of  him  as  Prime  Minister, 
will  see  him  denounced  by  myself  in  person  to  the 
Government." 

A  storm  of  applause  greeted  this  welcome  announce- 
ment. For  a  moment  all  the  men  went  mad  with  excite- 
ment, shouting,  stamping  and  singing,  —  while  again  and 
yet  again  the  cry :  '  For  the  King !  '  echoed  round  and 
round  in  tempestuous  cheering. 

Sergius  Thord  gazed  blankly  at  the  scene  with  a  strange 
sense  of  being  the  dreaming  witness  of  some  marvellous 
drama  enacted  altogether  away  from  the  earth.  He  could 
not  yet  bring  himself  to  realise  that  by  such  a  simple 
method  as  the  independent  working  of  one  individual  in- 
telligence, all  his  own  followers  had  been  swept  round  to 
loyalty  and  love  for  a  monarch,  whom  previously,  though 


462 


it. 


Temporal  Power' 


without  knowing  him,  they  had  hated  —  and  sworn  to 
destroy !  Yet,  in  very  truth,  all  the  hatreds  and  envys,  — 
all  the  slanders  and  cruelties  of  the  members  of  the  human 
race  towards  each  other,  spring  from  ignorance ;  and 
when  disaffected  persons  hate  a  king,  they  do  so  mostly 
because  they  do  not  know  him,  and  because  they  can  form 
no  true  opinion  of  his  qualities  or  the  various  difficulties 
of  his  position.  If  the  Anarchist,  bent  on  the  destruction 
of  some  person  in  authority,  only  had  the  culture  and 
knowledge  to  recognise  how  much  that  person  already 
suffers,  by  being  in  all  probability  forced  to  fulfil  duties 
for  which  he  has  no  heart  or  mind,  he  would  stay  his 
murderous  hand,  and  pity  rather  than  condemn.  For  the 
removal  of  one  ruler  only  means  the  installation  of  an- 
other, —  and  the  wild  and  often  gifted  souls  of  reformers, 
stumbling  through  darkness  after  some  great  Ideal  which 
resolves  itself  into  a  shadow  and  delusion  the  nearer  one 
approaches  to  it,  need  to  be  tenderly  dealt  with  from  the 
standpoint  of  plainest  simplicity  and  truth,  —  so  that  they 
may  feel  the  sympathetic  touch  of  human  love  and  care 
emanating  from  those  very  quarters  which  they  seek  to 
assail.  This  had  been  the  self-imposed  mission  of  the 
King  who  had  played  the  part  of  '  Pasquin  Leroy  '  ;  — 
and  thus,  fearing  nothing,  doubting  nothing,  and  relying 
simply  on  his  own  strength,  discretion,  and  determination, 
he  had  gained  a  moral  victory  over  the  passions  of  his 
secret  foes  such  as  he  had  never  himself  anticipated. 
When  silence  was  again  restored,  he  proceeded : 

'  The  various  suggestions  made  in  my  presence  during 
the  time  I  have  been  a  member  of  this  Committee,  will 
all  be  carried  out.  The  present  Government  will  naturally 
oppose  every  measure,  —  but  I,  —  backed  by  such  sup- 
porters as  I  have  now  won,  —  will  elect  a  new  Govern- 
ment —  a  new  Ministry.  When  I  began  this  bloodless 
campaign  of  my  own,  the  present  Ministry  were  on  the 
edge  of  war.  Determined  to  provoke  hostilities  with  a 
peaceful  Power,  they  were  ready  even  with  arms  and 
ammunition,  manufactured  by  a  '  Company,'  of  which 
Perousse  was  the  director  and  chief  shareholder!  Con- 
tracts for  army  supplies  were  being  secretly  tendered ; 
and  one  was  already  secretly  accepted  and  arranged  for, 
—  in  which  Carl  Perousse  and  the   Marquis  de  Lutera 


The  Comrade  of  His  Foes      463 

were  to  derive  enormous  interest ;  —  the  head  of  the  con- 
cern being  David  Jost.  This  plan  was  concocted  with 
devilish  ingenuity,  -  -  for,  if  the  war  had  actually  broken 
out,  the  supplies  of  our  army  would  have  been  of  the 
worst  possible  kind,  in  order  to  give  the  best  possible 
profit  to  the  contractors*;  and  Jost,  with  his  newspaper 
influence,  would  have  satisfied  the  public  mind  by  printing 
constant  reiterations  of  the  completeness  and  excellence 
of  the  supplies,  and  the  entire  contentment  and  jubilation 
of  the  men !  But  I  awoke  to  my  responsibilities  in  time 
to  checkmate  this  move.  I  forbade  the  provocation  in- 
tended ;  —  I  stopped  the  war.  In  this  matter  at  least  — 
much  loss  of  life,  much  heavy  expenditure,  and  much 
ill-will  among  other  nations  has  been  happily  spared  to 
us.  For  the  rest,  —  everything  you  have  been  working 
for  shall  be  granted,  —  if  you  yourselves  will  help  me  to 
realise  your  own  plans !  I  want  you  in  your  thousands ! 
—  ay,  in  your  tens  of  thousands !  I  want  you  all  on  my 
side !  With  you,  —  the  representatives  of  the  otherwise 
unvoiced  People,  —  I  will  enforce  all  the  measures  which 
you  have  discussed  before  me,  showing  good  and  ade- 
quate reason  why  they  should  be  carried.  The  taxes  you 
complain  of  shall  be  instantly  removed ;  —  and  for  the 
more  speedy  replenishment  of  the  National  Exchequer,  I 
gladly  resign  one  half  my  revenues  from  all  sources 
whatsoever  for  the  space  of  five  years ;  or  longer,  if 
considered  desirable.  But  I  want  your  aid !  Will  you 
all  stand  by  me?  " 

A  mighty  shout  answered  him. 

"To  the  death!" 

He  turned  to  Thord. 

"  Sergius,"  he  said,  "my  task  is  finished  —  my  con- 
fession made !  The  next  Order  of  this  meeting  must 
come  from  you  !  " 

Thord  looked  at  him  amazedly. 

"  From  me  ?    Are  you  not  the  King  ?  " 

"  Only  so  long  as  the  People  desire  it !  "  replied  the 
monarch  gently ;  "  And  are  you  not  the  representative  of 
the  People?" 

Thord's  chest  heaved.  Burning  tears  stood  in  his  eyes. 
The  strangeness  of  the  situation  —  the  deliberate  coolness 
and  resolve  with  which  this  sovereign  ruler  of  a  powerful 


464 


"Temporal  Power' 


kingdom  laid  his  life  trustingly  in  his  hands,  was  too 
much  for  his  nerve. 

"  Lotys !  "  he  said  huskily  ;  "  Lotys !  " 

She  rose  at  once  and  came  to  him,  moving  ghostlike  in 
her  white  draperies,  her  eyes  shining — her  lips  tremulous. 

"  Lotys,"  he  said,  "  The  King  is  in  our  hands !  You 
saved  his  life  once  —  will  you  save  it  again  ?  " 

She  raised  her  bent  head,  and  the  old  courageous  light 
flashed  in  her  face,  transfiguring  its  every  feature. 

'  It  is  not  for  me  to  save !  "  she  replied  in  clear  firm 
tones  ;  "  It  is  for  you  —  and  for  all  of  us,  —  to  defend !  " 

A  ringing  cheer  answered  her.  Sergius  Thord  slowly 
advanced,  and  as  he  did  so,  the  King,  seeing  his  move- 
ment frankly  held  out  his  hand.  For  a  moment  the 
Socialist  Chief  hesitated  —  then  suddenly  yielding  to  his 
overpowering  impulse,  caught  that  hand  and  raised  his 
dark  eyes  full  to  the  monarch's  face. 

'You  have  conquered  me!"  he  said,  "But  only  by 
your  qualities  as  a  man  - —  not  by  your  authority  as  a 
king !  You  have  won  my  honour  —  my  respect  —  my 
gratitude  —  my  friendship  —  and  with  these,  so  long  as 
you  are  faithful  to  our  Cause,  take  my  allegiance !  More 
I  cannot  say  —  more  I  will  not  promise !  " 

'  I  need  no  more !  "  responded  the  King  cheerily,  en- 
closing his  hand  in  a  warm  clasp.  "  We  are  friends  and 
fellow-workers,  Sergius  !  —  we  can  never  be  rivals !  " 

As  he  spoke,  his  glance  fell  on  Lotys.  She  shrank 
from  the  swift  passion  of  his  gaze,  —  and  her  eyelids 
drooped  half-swooningly  over  the  bright  star-windows  of 
her  own  too  ardent  soul.  Abruptly  turning  from  both 
her  and  Thord,  the  King  again  addressed  the  company : 

"  One  word  more,  my  friends !  It  is  arranged  that 
you,  with  all  your  thousands  of  the  People  are  to  convene 
together  in  one  great  multitude,  and  march  to  the  Palace 
to  demand  justice  from  the  King.  There  is  now  no  need 
to  do  this,  — -  for  the  King  himself  is  one  of  you !  —  the 
King  only  lives  and  reigns  that  justice  in  all  respects  may 
be  done !  I  will  therefore  ask  you  to  change  your  plan ; 
—  and  instead  of  marching  to  the  Palace,  march  with  me 
to  the  House  of  Government.  You  would  have  demanded 
justice  from  the  King;  the  King  himself  will  go  with 
you  to  demand  justice  for  the  People!  " 


The  Comrade  of  His  Foes      465 

A  wild  shout  answered  him ;  and  he  knew  as  he  looked 
on  the  faces  of  his  hearers  that  he  had  them  all  in  his 
power  as  the  servants  of  his  will. 

"  And  now,  gentlemen,"  he  proceeded ;  "  I  should  per- 
haps make  some  excuses  for  my  two  friends,  known  to 
you  as  Max  Graub  and  Axel  Regor.  I  told  you  I  would 
be  responsible  for  their  conduct,  and,  so  far  as  they  have 
been  permitted  to  go,  they  have  behaved  well!  1  must, 
however,  in  justice  to  them,  assure  you  that  whereas  I 
became  a  member  of  your  Committee  gladly,  they  fol- 
lowed my  example  reluctantly,  and  only  out  of  fidelity 
and  obedience  to  me.  They  have  lived  in  the  shadow  of 
the  Throne,  —  and  have  learned  to  pity,  —  and  I  think,  - 
to  love  its  occupant !  Because  they  know,  —  as  you  have 
never  known,  —  the  heavy  burden  which  a  king  puts  on 
with  his  crown !  They  have,  however,  in  their  way, 
served  you  under  my  orders,  and  under  my  orders  will 
continue  to  serve  you  still.  Max  Graub,  or,  to  give  him 
his  right  name,  Heinrich  von  Glauben,  has  a  high  repu- 
tation in  this  country  for  his  learning,  apart  from  his 
position  as  Household  Physician  to  our  Court ;  —  Axel 
Regor  is  my  very  good  friend  Sir  Roger  de  Launay,  who 
is  amiable  enough  to  support  the  monotony  of  his  duty 
as  one  of  my  equerries  in  waiting.  Now  you  know  us  as 
we  are!  But  after  all,  nothing  is  changed,  save  our 
names  and  the  titles  we  bear ;  we  are  the  same  men,  the 
same  friends,  the  same  comrades !  —  and  so  I  trust  we 
shall  remain !  " 

The  cheering  broke  out  again,  and  Sir  Roger  de 
Launay,  who  was  quite  as  overwhelmed  with  astonish- 
ment at  the  courage  and  coolness  of  his  Royal  master 
as  any  Revolutionist  present,  joined  in  it  with  a  will,  as 
did  Von  Glauben. 

"  One  favour  I  have  to  ask  of  you,"  proceeded  the 
King,  "  and  it  is  this :  If  you  exempt  me  to-night  from 
killing  the  King;"  and  he  smiled,  —  "you  must  also 
exempt  all  the  members  of  the  Revolutionary  Committee 
from  any  similar  task  allotted  to  them  by  having  drawn 
the  fatal  Signal !  Our  friend,  Zouche,  for  instance,  has 
drawn  the  name  of  Carl  Perousse.  Now  I  want  Zouche 
for  better  work  than  that  of  killing  a  rascal !  ,: 

33 


466  "Temporal  Power" 

Loud  cheers  answered  him,  and  Zouche  rising-  from 
his  place  advanced  a  little. 

'Majesty!"  he  cried,  "You  are  right!  I  hand  your 
Majesty's  intended  Premier  over  to  you  with  the  greatest, 
pleasure  in  the  world !  Apart  from  the  fact  of  your  being 
the  King,  I  am  compelled  to  admit  that  you  have  common 
sense !  " 

Laughter  and  cheers  resounded  through  the  room 
again,  and  the  King  quietly  turning  round,  extinguished 
the  red  lamp  on  the  table.  The  thirteenth  light  was 
quenched ;  the  Day  of  Fate  was  ended.  As  the  ominous 
crimson  flare  sank  out,  a  sudden  silence  prevailed,  and 
the  King  fixed  his  eyes  on  Lotys. 

"  From  you,  Madame,  must  come  my  final  exoneration ! 
If  you  still  condemn  me  as  a  King,  I  shall  be  indeed 
unfortunate !  If  you  still  think  well  of  me  as  a  man,  I 
shall  be  proud!  I  have  to  thank  you,  not  only  for  my 
life,  but  for  having  helped  me  to  make  that  life  valuable ! 
As  Pasquin  Leroy,  I  have  sought  to  serve  you,  —  as 
King,  I  seek  to  serve  you  still !  " 

The  silence  continued.  Every  man  present  watched 
the  visible  emotion  which  swept  every  vestige  of  colour 
from  the  face  of  Lotys,  and  made  her  eyes  so  feverishly 
bright.  Every  man  gazed  at  her  as  she  rose  from  her 
chair  and  came  forward  a  little  to  the  front  of  the  plat- 
form. It  was  with  a  strong  effort  that  she  raised  her 
eyes  to  those  of  the  King,  and  in  that  one  glance  between 
them,  the  lightning  flash  of  a  resistless  love  tore  the  veil 
of  secrecy  from  their  souls.    But  she  spoke  out  bravely. 

'  I  thank  your  Majesty!  "  she  said;  "  I  thank  you  for 
all  you  have  done  for  us  as  our  comrade  and  associate,  — 
for  all  you  will  yet  do  for  us  as  our  comrade  and  associate 
still !  It  is  better  to  be  a  brave  man  than  a  weak  King  — 
but  it  is  best  to  be  a  strong  man  and  a  strong  king  both 
together !  You  have  disproved  the  thoughts  I  had  of  you 
as  King !  You  have  ratified  —  "  here  she  paused,  while 
the  colour  suddenly  sprang  to  her  cheeks,  and  her  breath 
came  pantingly  and  quick,  — "  and  strengthened  the 
thoughts  I  had  of  you  as  our  Pasquin !  "  Her  eyes  soft- 
ened with  tears,  though  she  smiled.  "  We  have  believed 
in  you  ;  we  believe  in  you  still !  All  is  as  it  was,  —  save 
in  the  one  thing  new,  —  that  where  we  were  banded  to- 


The  Comrade  of  His  Foes      467 

gether  against  the  King,  we  are  now  united  for,  and  with 
the  King !  " 

These  words  were  all  that  were  needed  to  reawaken 
and  confirm  the  enthusiasm  of  the  Revolutionists,  whose 
'  revolutionary  '  measures  were  now  accepted  and  sworn 
to  by  the  Crowned  Head  of  the  Realm.  Thereupon, 
they  gave  themselves  up  to  the  wildest  cheering. 

"  Comrades !  "  cried  Paul  Zouche,  in  the  midst  of  the 
uproar ;  "  There  is  one  point  you  seem  to  have  missed ! 
The  King,  —  God  bless  him  !  —  does  n't  see  it,  —  Thord, 
glowering  like  an  owl  in  his  ivy-bush  of  hair,  does  n't 
see  it !  It  is  only  left  to  me  to  perceive  the  chief  result 
of  this  evening's  disclosures !  " 

All  the  men  laughed. 

"  What  is  it,  Zouche  ?  "  demanded  Louis  Valdor. 

"  Ay !     What  is  it  ?  "  echoed  Zegota. 

"  Speak,  Zouche!  "  said  the  King;  "  Whatever  strange 
conclusion  your  poetic  brain  discovers,  doubt  not  but 
that  we  shall  accept  it,  —  from  you !  " 

"  Accept  it  ?  I  should  think  so !  "  cried  Zouche  ;  "  You 
are  bound  to  accept  it  whether  you  like  it  or  not ;  there  is 
no  other  way  out  of  it !  " 

"  Well,  what  is  it?  "  repeated  Zegota  impatiently  ;  "  De- 
clare it !  " 

"  It  is  this ;  "  said  Zouche,  "  Simply  this,  —  that,  with 
the  King  as  our  comrade  and  associate,  the  Revolutionary 
Committee  is  no  use !  It  is  finished !  There  can  be  no 
longer  a  Revolutionary  Committee! ': 

"  That  is  true!  "  said  the  King;  "  It  may  henceforth  be 
known  as  a  new  Parliament !  " 

Cheer  after  cheer  echoed  through  the  crowded  room, 
and  while  the  noise  was  at  its  height  a  knocking  was 
heard  outside  and  Sholto,  the  hunchback  father  of 
Pequita,  demanded  admittance.  Zegota  unlocked  the 
door,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  situation  was  explained 
to  the  astonished  landlord  of  the  Revolutionary  Com- 
mittee quarters.  Overwhelmed  at  the  news,  and  full 
of  gratitude  for  the  kindness  shown  to  his  child,  which 
he  now  knew  had  emanated  from  the  King  in  person,  he 
would  have  knelt  to  kiss  the  Royal  hand,  had  not  the 
monarch  prevented  him. 

"  No,  my  good  Sholto !  "  he  said  gently ;  "  Enough  of 


468  "Temporal  Power' 

such  humility  wearies  me  in  the  monotonous  routine  of 
Court  life;  and  were  it  not  for  custom  and  prejudice,  I 
would  suffer  no  self-respecting  man  to  abase  himself  be- 
fore me,  simply  because  my  profession  is  that  of  King ! 
Tell  Pequita  that  I  would  not  look  at  her,  or  applaud  her 
dancing  the  other  night,  because  I  wished  her  to  hate 
the  King  and  to  love  Pasquin !  —  but  now  you  must  ask 
her  for  me,  to  love  them  both !  " 

Sholto  bowed  low,  profoundly  overcome.  Was  this  the 
King  against  whom  they  had  all  been  in  league  ?  —  this 
simple,  unaffected  man,  who.  seemed  so  much  at  home  and 
at  one  with  them  all  ?  Amazed  and  bewildered,  he,  by 
general  invitation,  mixed  with  the  rest  of  the  men,  for 
each  of  whom  the  King  had  a  kind  and  appreciative  word, 
or  a  fresh  pledge  of  his  good  faith  and  intention  towards 
them  and  the  reforms  they  sought  to  effect.  Von  Glauben 
was  surrounded  by  a  group  of  those  among  whom  he  had 
made  himself  popular ;  and  a*  hundred  eager  questions 
were  asked  of  both  him  and  De  Launay,  who  were  ready 
enough  to  eulogise  the  daring  of  their  Royal  master,  and 
the  determination  with  which  he  had  resolved  on  making 
his  secret  foes  his  open  friends. 

"After  all,"  said  Zegota  deprecatingly, "  it  is  not  so  much 
the  King  whom  we  were  against,  as  the  Government." 

"Ah!  You  forget,  no  doubt,"  said  Von  Glauben. 
"  that  the  King  —  any  King  —  is  usually  a  Dummy  in  the 
hands  of  Government,  unless,  as  in  the  present  instance, 
he  chooses  to  become  a  living  Personality  for  himself !  " 

"  The  King  has  created  an  autocracy !  "  said  Louis  Val- 
dor ;  "  and  it  will  last  for  his  lifetime.    But  after !  " 

"  After  him,  —  if  his  eldest  son,  Prince  Humphry, 
comes  to  the  Throne,  —  the  autocracy  will  be  continued  ;  " 
said  Von  Glauben  decisively ;  "  For  he  is  a  young  man 
who  is  singularly  fond  of  having  his  own  way!  " 

The  conversation  now  became  general ;  and  the  big, 
bare,  common  room  assumed  in  a  few  minutes  almost  the 
aspect  of  a  Royal  levee.  This  was  curious  enough,  —  and 
furnished  food  for  meditation  to  Professor  von  Glauben, 
who  was  considerably  excited  by  the  dramatic  denoue- 
ment of  the  Day  of  pate,  —  a  climax  for  which  neither 
he  nor  Sir  Roger  had  been  in  the  least  prepared.  He  said 
something  of  it  to  Sir  Roger  who  was  watching  Lotys. 


The  Comrade  of  His  Foes      469 

"You  look  at  the  woman,"  he  said;  "I  look  at  the 
man!     Do  you  think  this  drama  is  finished?" 

"  Not  yet !  "  answered  De  Launay  curtly ;  "  Nor  is  the 
danger  over!  " 

The  hum  of  talk  continued ;  and  the  good  feeling  of 
friendship  and  unity  of  the  assemblage  was  intensified 
with  every  cordial  handshake.  When  the  time  came  to 
break  up,  someone  suggested  that  a  carriage  should  be 
sent  for  to  convey  the  King  and  his  two  companions  to 
the  Palace.  Whereat  the  monarch  laughed  aloud  and 
right  joyously. 

"  By  my  faith !  "  he  exclaimed ;  "  You,  my  friends, 
would  actually  pamper  me  already,  by  offering  me  a 
luxury  which  you  yourselves  do  not  propose  to  enjoy ! 
Ah,  my  friends,  here  comes  in  the  mischief  of  the  mon- 
archical system !  What  of  your  '  Liberty,  Equality,  and 
Fraternity  '  ?  Do  I  ask  to  have  anything  different  to  your- 
selves ?  Can  I  not  walk,  even  as  you  do  ?  Have  I  n<pt 
walked  to,  and  from  these  meetings  often  ?  And  even  so, 
I  purpose  to  walk  now !  If  you  are  true  Revolutionists 
—  as  I  am  —  do  not  reverse  your  own  theories  !  You 
complain, — and  justly, — that  a  king  is  over-flattered;  do 
not  then  flatter  him  yourselves  by  insisting  on  such  conven- 
ience for  him  as  he  does  not  even  demand  at  your  hands  ! " 

"  You  take  us  too  literally,  Sir,"  said  Louis  Valdor ; 
"  Even  Revolutionists  owe  respect  to  their  chief !  " 

"  Sergius  Thord  is  your  Chief,  my  friend !  "  replied 
the  monarch ;  "  And,  from  a  Revolutionary  point  of 
view,  mine!  But  you  have  never  thought  of  sending  him 
anywhere  in  a  carriage !  Ah  !  —  what  children  we  are  ! 
What  slaves  of  convention !  '  Liberty,  Equality  and  Fra- 
ternity '  have  been  the  ideals  of  ages  :  — -  yet  despite  them, 
we  are  always  ready  to  follow  a  Leader,  —  and  form  our- 
selves into  one  body  under  a  Head !  " 

"Provided  the  Head  has  brains  in  it!"  said  Zouche. 
"  But  otherwise " 

"  You  cut  it  off !  "  laughed  the  monarch  —  "  and  quite 
right  too !  " 

They  now  began  to  separate.  The  hunchback  Sholto 
explained  that  it  was  long  after  midnight,  and  that  he  had 
already  put  out  all  the  lights  in  the  basement. 

Whereupon  the  King,  turning  to  Sergius  Thord  said : 


47°  "Temporal  Power' 

'  Farewell  for  the  moment,  Sergius !  Come  to  me  at 
the  Palace  with  the  whole  plan  of  the  meeting  you  are 
now  organising ;  I  shall  hold  myself  ready  to  fall  in  with 
)*}ur  plans  !  Gather  your  thousands,  and  —  leave  the  rest 
to  me!  " 

Thord  clasped  his  extended  hand,  —  and  was  moved  by 
a  curious  instinct  to  bend  down  low  over  it  after  the 
fashion  of  a  courtier,  but  restrained  himself  almost  by 
force.  The  men  began  to  move  ;  one  after  the  other  bade 
good-night  to  the  King  —  then  to  Thord,  and  last  to 
Lotys,  who,  drawing  on  her  cloak,  prepared  to  leave  also. 

'  I  will  see  you  safely  down  the  stairs,"  said  the  King 
smilingly,  to  her.  '  It  is  not  the  first  time  I  have  done 
so!     How  now,  Zouche?  " 

Paul  Zouche  stood  before  him,  his  eyes  full  of  a  strange 
mingled  pathos  and  scorn. 

'  I  have  to  thank  your  Majesty,"  he  said  slowly,  "  for 
something  I  do  not  in  the  least  value,  —  Fame !  It  has 
come  too  late !  Had  it  been  my  portion  three  years  ago, 
the  woman  I  loved  would  have  been  proud  of  me,  and  I 
should  have  been  happy  !  She  is  dead  now  —  and  nothing 
matters !  " 

The  King  was  silent.  There  was  something  both 
solemn  and  pitiful  about  this  wreck  of  manhood  which 
was  still  kept  alive  by  the  fire  of  genius. 

"With  one  word  vou  micrht  have  saved  me  —  and 
her !  "  he  went  on.  '  When  you  came  to  the  Throne,  — 
and  all  the  wretched  versifiers  in  the  kingdom  were 
scribbling  twaddle  in  the  way  of  '  Coronation  odes  '  and 
medleys,  I  wrote  '  The  Song  of  Freedom  '  for  your  glory ! 
All  the  people  of  the  land  know  that  song  now !  —  but 
you  might  have  known  it  then !  For  now  it  is  too  late  !  — 
too  late  to  call  her  back  ;  —  too  late  to  give  me  peace ! ': 

He  paused  ;  —  then  —  without  another  word  —  turned, 
and  went  out. 

"  Poor  Zouche!  "  said  the  King  gently;  '  I  accept  his 
reproach  and  understand  it !  He  is  right !  The  recogni- 
tion of  his  genius  is  one  of  the  thousand  chances  I  have 
missed !     But,  as  God  lives,  I  will  miss  no  more !  " 

A  great  quietude  fell  on  the  house  as  the  Revolutionary 
Committee  dispersed.  The  last  to  leave  was  the  King, 
his  two   friends,  and   Lotys.     Lotys   declined  all  escort 


The  Comrade  of  His  Foes      47  1 

somewhat  imperatively,  refusing  to  allow  Sergius  Thorcl 
to  see  her  to  her  own  home. 

'I  must  be  alone!"  she  said;  'Do  you  not  under- 
stand !  I  want  to  think  —  I  want  to  realise  our  change  of 
position.  I  cannot  talk  to  you,  Sergius,  —  no  —  not  till 
to-morrow  —  you  must  let  me  be  !  " 

He  drew  back,  chilled  and  hurt  by  her  tone,  but  forbore 
to  press  his  company  on  her.  With  another  farewell  to 
the  King,  he  stood  at  the  top  of  the  long  dark  winding 
stair  watching  the  group  descend,  —  first  Von  Glauben, 
next  De  Launay,  —  thirdly,  the  King,  —  and  lastly. 
Lotys. 

"  Good-night !  "  he  called,  as  her  white  robes  vanished 
in  the  gloom. 

"  Good-night !  "  she  answered  tremulously,  as  she 
disappeared. 

And  he,  returning  to  the  empty  room,  stared  vacantly 
at  the  table  draped  with  black,  and  the  funeral  urn  set 
upon  it,  —  stared  at  the  empty  chairs  and  bare  walls,  and 
listened  as  it  were,  to  the  midnight  silence,  —  realising 
that  he  as  Chief  of  the  Revolutionary  Committee,  was  no 
longer  a  chief  but  a  servant !  —  and  that  the  power  he 
sought  —  that  power  which  he  had  endeavoured  to  attain 
in  order  that  he  might  make  of  Lotys,  as  he  had  said,  '  a 
queen  among  women !  '  was  only  to  be  won  through,  — 
the  King !  The  King  knew  all  his  secret  plans  and  his 
aims,  —  he  held  the  clue  to  the  whole  network  of  his  Rev- 
olutionary organisation,  —  and  the  only  chance  he  now 
had  of  ever  arriving  at  the  highest  goal  of  his  ambition 
was  in  the  King's  hands !  Thus  was  he,  —  Socialist  and 
Revolutionist,  —  made  subject  to  the  Throne;  the  very 
rules  he  had  drawn  up  for  himself  and  his  Committee 
making  it  impossible  that  he  could  be  otherwise  than  loyal, 
to  a  monarch  who  was  at  the  same  time  his  comrade ! 

Meanwhile,  in  the  thick  darkness  of  the  hall  below, 
while  Von  Glauben  and  De  Launay  were  groping  their 
way  to  the  door  which  was  cautiously  held  open  by  Sholto, 
Lotys,  moving  with  hesitating  steps  down  the  stairs,  felt 
rather  than  saw  a  head  turned  back  upon  her,  —  a  flash 
of  eves  in  the  darkness,  and  heard  her  name  breathed 
softly : 

"  Lotys !  " 


47 2  "Temporal  Power 


55 


She  grew  dizzy  and  uncertain  of  her  footing ;  she 
could  not  answer.  Suddenly  a  strong  arm  caught  her,  — 
she  was  drawn  into  a  close,  fierce,  jealous  clasp;  warm 
lips  caressed  her  hair,  her  brow,  her  eyes ;  and  a  voice 
whispered  in  her  ear : 

"You  love  me,  Lotys !     You  love  me!     Hush!  —  do 

not  deny  it  —  you  cannot  deny  it ! you  know  it,  as 

I  know  it !  —  you  have  told  me  you  love  me !  You  love 
me,  my  LoVe !    You  love  me !  " 

Another  moment  —  and  the  King  passed  quietly  out  of 
the  door  with  a  bland  '  Good-night '  to  Sholto,  and  joining 
his  two  companions,  raised  his  hat  to  Lotys  with  a  cour- 
teous salutation. 

"  Good-night,  Madame !  " 

She  stood  in  the  doorway,  shuddering  violently  from 
head  to  foot,  —  watching  his  tall  figure  disappear  in  the 
shadows  of  the  street.  Then  stretching  out  her  hands 
blindly,  she  gave  a  faint  cry,  and  murmuring  something 
inarticulate  to  the  alarmed  Sholto,  fell  senseless  at  his 
feet. 


CHAPTER    XXX 

KING    AND   SOCIALIST 

TO  many  persons  of  the  servile  or  flunkey  habit,  the 
idea  that  a  king  should  ever  comport  himself  as  an 
ordinary,  —  or  extraordinary,  —  man,  seems  more  or  less 
preposterous ;  while  to  conceive  him  as  endowed  with 
dash,  spirit,  and  a  love  of  adventure  is  judged  almost  as 
absurd  and  impossible.  The  only  potentate  that  ever  ap- 
pears, in  legendary  lore,  to  have  indulged  himself  to  his 
heart's  content  in  the  sport  of  adopting  a  disguise  and 
going  about  unrecognised  among  his  subjects,  is  the 
witty  and  delightful  hero  of  the  'Arabian  Nights'  En- 
tertainment,' Caliph  Haroun  Alraschid,  who,  as  Tennyson 
describes  him,  had 

"  Deep  eyes,  laughter-stirred 

With  merriment  of  kingly  pride  ; 
Sole  star  of  all  that  place  and  time, 
I  saw  him  in  his  golden  prime, 
The  good  Ha/oun  Alraschid  !  " 

We  accept  Haroun ;  and  acknowledge  him  to  have 
been  wise  in  the  purport  of  his  wanderings  through  the 
streets  of  the  city,  —  gaining  new  experience  with  every 
hour,  and  studying  the  needs  and  complaints  of  his  people 
for  himself;  —  but  if  we  should  be  told  of  a  modern 
monarch  doing  likewise  in  our  own  day,  we  should  mount 
on  the  stiff  hobby-horse  of  our  ridiculous  conventionality, 
and  accuse  him  of  having  brought  the  dignity  of  the 
Throne  into  contempt.  Yet  nothing  perhaps  can  be  more 
contemptible  than  a  monarch  who  is  too  surrounded  by 
flunkeyism  to  be  a  Man,  —  and,  on  the  other  hand,  nothing 
could  be  more  beneficial  than  the  feeling  that  perhaps  a 
monarch  may  be  so  much  of  a  man  after  all  that  no  one 
can  be  quite  certain  as  to  his  whereabouts.     It  would  be 


474  "Temporal  Power" 

well  if  some  rowdy  '  clubs  '  could  be  restrained  by  the 
idea  that  the  Sovereign  of  the  Realm  might  step  in  unex- 
pectedly, —  or  if  the  '  slums  '  could  scarcely  be  able  to  tell 
when  he  might  not  be  among  their  inmates,  disguised  as 
one  of  them,  studying  and  knowing  more  in  a  day  than 
his  ministers  would  tell  him  in  several  vears.  It  is  sren- 
erally  admitted  that  no  man  is  fit  for  a  profession  till  he 
has  thoroughly  mastered  its  possibilities,  -  ■  yet  it  is  not 
too  much  to  declare  that  in  the  profession  of  Sovereignty 
the  few  who  practise  it,  have  mastered  it  to  so  little  pur- 
pose, that  they  are  almost  entirely  blind  to  the  singular 
advantages  which  they  might  obtain,  not  only  for  them- 
selves, but  for  the  entire  world,  if  they  chose  to  put  forth 
their  own  individuality,  and,  instead  of  wasting:  their 
time  on  the  scheming  and  self-seeking  sections  of  Society, 
elected  to  try  their  powers  on  the  working  and  trade  com- 
munities of  the  nation.  But  throughout  all  history,  the 
various  careers  of  kings  and  emperors  contain  instructive 
lessons  of  Lost  Opportunity.  Allowing  for  the  differences 
of  climate  and  temperament,  it  may  be  taken  for  granted 
that  no  people  of  any  country  are  constitutionally  able  to 
rise  above  a  certain  height  of  enthusiasm ;  and  that  when 
the  high-water  mark  is  reached,  their  enthusiasm  cools, 
and  a  reaction  invariably  sets  in.  For  this  cause  a  mon- 
arch should  never  rely  too  much  on  the  plaudits  of  the 
mob  in  a  time  of  conquest,  or  public  festival  of  jubilation. 
He  should  look  upon  such  acclamation  as  the  mere  rising 
of  a  wave,  which  must  in  due  time  sink  again,  —  and  if  he 
would  know  his  people  thoroughly,  he  should  study  that 
same  shouting  mob,  not  when  it  is  affected  by  hysteria, 
but  during  its  everyday  level  condition  of  stubborn  and 
patient  toil.  So  will  he  perhaps  be  able  to  lay  his  finger 
on  the  sore  places  of  life,  and  to  find  out  where  the  seed 
of  mischief  is  planted,  before  it  begins  to  grow.  But  he 
must  give  an  individual  interest  to  such  work ;  no  infor- 
mation must  be  obtained  or  given  through  this  person  or 
that  person,  —  for  the  old  maxim  that  '  if  you  want  any- 
thing done,  do  it  yourself  '  applies  to  kings  as  well  as  to 
all  other  classes  of  men. 

That  the  old  adage  had  been  amply  practised  by  one 
king  at  least,  was  soon  known  throughout  the  capital  of 
the  country  over  which  the  monarch  here  written  of  held 


King  and  Socialist  475 

dominion.  Somehow,  and  by  some  means  or  other,  the 
story  oozed  out  bit  by  bit  and  in  guarded  whispers,  that 
the  King  had  '  trapped  '  Carl  Perousse,  as  well  as  several 
other  defaulting  ministers,  —  and  that,  strange  and  in- 
credible as  it  appeared,  he  himself  was  the  very  '  Pasquin 
Leroy  '  whose  political  polemics  had  created  such  a  stir. 
Once  started,  the  rumour  flew  ;  —  some  disbelieved  it ;  - 
others  listened,  with  ears  stretched  wide,  greedy  for  more 
detail,  —  but  presently  the  scattered  threads  of  gossip 
became  woven  into  a  consecutive  web  of  certainty  so  far 
as  one  point,  at  least,  was  concerned,  —  and  this  was, 
that  the  King  would  personally  address  his  Parliament 
during  the  ensuing  week  on  matters  of  national  safety 
and  importance.  Such  an  announcement  was  altogether 
unprecedented,  and  excited  the  whole  country's  attention. 
Plenty  of  discussion  there  was,  as  to  whether  the  King 
had  any  right  to  so  address  the  members  of  the  Govern- 
ment, —  and  some  oracular  journals  were  of  the  opinion 
that  he  was  acting  in  an  '  unconstitutional  manner.'  On 
the  other  hand,  it  was  discovered  and  proved  that  there 
was  no  actual  law  forbidding  the  Sovereign  to  speak  when 
any  question  of  urgency  appeared  to  call  for  his  expressed 
opinion. 

While  this  affair  was  being  contested  and  argued,  a 
considerable  sensation  was  created  by  the  news  that  the 
Marquis  de  Lutera  had  suddenly  left  the  country,  —  os- 
tensibly for  his  health,  which,  everyone  was  assured,  had 
completely  broken  down.  People  shook  their  heads  omin- 
ously, and  wondered  when  the  King  would  give  M. 
Perousse  the  task  of  forming  a  new  Ministry,  —  while 
they  watched  with  deepening  interest  the  progress  of  the 
various  Government  debates,  which  were  carried  on  in 
the  usual  way,  following  the  lines  laid  down  by  the  absent 
Premier,  Marquis  de  Lutera.  Carl  Perousse,  confronted 
by  a  thousand  difficulties,  maintained  his  usual  equable 
and  audacious  attitude,  scouting  with  scorn  the  rumour 
that  the  Socialist  writer,  '  Pasquin  Leroy  '  was  merely  a 
disguise  adopted  by  the  King  himself,  —  and  he  was  as 
cool  and  imperturbable  as  ever  when  one  morning  David 
Jost  succeeded  in  finding  him  at  home,  and  obtaining  an 
audience. 

"  It  was  the  King!  "  burst  out  Jost,  as  soon  as  he  found 


476         "Temporal  Power" 

himself  alone  with  his  ally ;  "It  was  the  King  himself 
who  wore  Lutera's  signet,  and  came  to  me  disguised  so 
well  that  his  own  father  would  not  have  known  him  !  The 
King  himself,  I  say!    And  I  told  him  everything!  " 

'  More  fool  you !  "  returned  Perousse  quietly ;  "  How- 
ever, fools  generally  have  to  pay  the  price  of  their  folly !  " 

"  And  knaves!  "  said  Jost  furiously;  "  But  there  is  a 
power  which  cannot  be  controlled,  even  by  kings  or 
statesmen  —  and  that  is  —  the  pen  !  " 

"And  do  you  think  you  can  use  the  pen?"  queried 
Perousse  indolently ;  '  Excellent  Shylock,  you  know  you 
cannot !  You  can  pay  others  to  use  it  for  you !  That  is 
all !  " 

'  I  can  make  short  work  of  you  at  any  rate !  "  said  Jost, 
his  little  eyes  sparkling  with  rage ;  '  For  I  see  plainly 
enough  now  that  even  if  our  plans  had  succeeded,  you 
would  have  left  me  in  the  lurch !  " 

"  Of  course !  "  smiled  Perousse ;  "  Are  you  so  simple 
in  the  world's  ways  as  not  to  be  able  to  realise  that  such 
Jew  pressmen  as  you  are  only  made  for  the  use  of  poli- 
ticians ?  We  drop  you,  when  we  have  done  with  you ! 
Go  to  London,  Jost !  Start  a  paper  there !  It  is  the  very 
place  for  you !  Get  a  Cardinal  to  back  you  up,  with  funds 
to  be  used  for  the  '  conversion  '  of  England !  Or  give  a 
hundred  thousand  pounds  to  a  hospital !  You  can  become 
naturalised  as  an  Englishman  if  you  like ;  any  country 
does  for  a  Jew !  And  you  will  be  a  power  of  the  realm 
in  no  time !  They  manage  these  sort  of  things  capitally 
there !  " 

"  By  God !  "  said  Jost ;   "  I  could  kill  you !  " 

"What  for?"  demanded  Perousse;  "Because  you 
think  I  am  going  to  be  proved  a  political  fraud  ?  Wait 
and  see !  If  the  King  denounces  me,  I  am  prepared  to 
denounce  the  King !  " 

Jost  stared,  then  laughed  aloud. 

'  Denounce  the  King !  You  are  bold  !  But  you  make 
up  your  sum  with  the  wrong  numerals  this  time!  The 
King  holds  the  complete  list  of  your  speculations  in  his 
hand,  —  he  has  got  them  through  the  agency  of  the  Revo- 
lutionary Committee,  to  which  your  stockbroker's  confi- 
dential clerk  belongs  !  You  fool !  All  your  schemes  — 
all  your  '  companies  '  are  known  to  him  root  and  branch 


King  and  Socialist  477 

—  and  you  say  you  will  '  denounce  '  him!  If  you  do,  it 
will  be  a  real  comedy!  —  the  case  of  a  thief  denouncing 
the  officer  who  has  caught  him  red-handed  in  the  act  of 
thieving!  " 

With  this  parting  shot,  he  made  a  violent  exit.  Pe- 
rousse  left  alone,  dismissed  him,  with  all  other  harass- 
ments  from  his  mind ;  for  being  entirely  without  a  con- 
science, he  had  very  little  care  as  to  the  results  of  the 
King's  reported  intentions.  He  was  preparing  a  brilliant 
speech,  which  he  intended  to  deliver  if  occasion  de- 
manded ;  and  on  his  own  coolness,  mendacity  and  pluck, 
he  staked  his  future. 

'  If  I  fail,"  he  said  to  himself  ;  "  I  will  go  to  the  United 
States,  and  end  by  becoming  President !  There  are  many 
such  plans  open  to  a  man  of  resources  !  " 

During  the  ensuing  few  days  there  were  some  extra 
gaieties  at  the  Palace,  —  and  the  King  and  Queen  were 
seen  daily  in  public.  Everywhere,  they  were  greeted  with 
frantic  outbursts  of  cheering,  and  the  recent  riotous  out- 
breaks seemed  altogether  forgotten.  The  Opera  was 
crowded  nightly,  and  undeterred  by  the  fear  of  any  fresh 
manifestations  of  popular  discontent,  their  Majesties 
were  again  present.  This  time  the  King  was  the  first  to 
lead  off  the  applause  that  hailed  Pequita's  dancing.  And 
how  her  little  feet  flew!  — how  her  eyes  sparkled  with 
rapture  —  how  the  dark  curls  tossed,  and  the  cherry  lips 
smiled  !  To  her  the  King  remained  Pasquin  !  —  a  kind 
of  monarch  in  a  fairy  tale,  who  scattered  benefits  at  a 
touch,  and  sunshine  with  a  glance,  and  who  deserved  all 
the  love  and  loyalty  of  every  subject  in  the  kingdom  !  But 
she  had  never  had  any  idea  of  '  Revolution,'  poor  child ! 

—  save  such  a  revolving  of  chance  and  circumstance  as 
should  enable  her  father  to  live  in  comfort,  without 
anxiety  for  his  latter  days.  And  perhaps  at  the  bottom  of 
all  political  or  religious  fanaticism  we  should  find  an 
equally  simple  root  of  cause  for  the  effect. 

The  day  at  last  came  when  Sergius  Thord  held  his 
mighty  '  mass  meeting,'  convened  in  the  Cathedral  square, 

—  all  ready  for  marching  orders.  No  interference  was 
offered  either  from  soldiery  or  police ;  and  the  people 
came  pouring  up  from  every  quarter  of  the  city  in  their 
thousands   and   tens   of   thousands.      By   noon,   the   tall 


47 8  "Temporal  Power' 

lace-like  spire  of  the  Cathedral  towered  above  a  vast  sea 
of  human  heads,  which  from  a  distance  looked  like  swarm- 
ing bees ;  and  as  the  bells  struck  the  hour,  Thord,  mount- 
ing the  steps  of  a  monument  erected  to  certain  heroes 
who  had  long  ago  fallen  in  battle,  was  greeted  with  a  roar 
of  acclamation  like  the  thunder  of  heaven's  own  artillery. 
But  even  while  the  multitude  still  shouted  and  cheered, 
the  sight  of  another  figure,  which  quietly  ascended  to  the 
same  position,  caused  a  sudden  hush,  —  a  gradually  deep- 
ening silence  of  amazement  and  awe,  —  and  then  finally 
swift  recognition. 

"The  King!  "  cried  a  voice. 

"  Pasquin  Leroy !  "  shouted  another,  who  was  answered 
by  yells  and  shrieks  of  derision. 

"  The  King !  "  was  again  the  cry.  And  as  the  vast 
crowd  circled  round  and  round,  its  million  eyes  wonder- 
ingly  upturned,  Sergius  Thord  suddenly  lifted  his  cap 
and  waved  it : 

"  Ay  !  The  King !  ';  His  voice  rang  over  the  heads  of 
the  people  with  a  rich  thrill  of  command.  "  The  King, 
who  here  declares  himself  the  friend  of  our  Cause !  The 
King,  who  is  with  us  to-day  of  his  own  will,  at  his  own 
request,  by  his  own  choice  !  —  without  escort,  —  unarmed 
—  defenceless !  The  King !  The  King  who  has  resolved 
to  go  with  us,  and  demand  justice  for  his  overtaxed  and 
suffering  subjects!  The  King,  who  is  one  with  us!  — 
who  seeks  no  greater  kingliness  than  that  of  being  loved 
and  trusted  by  his  People !  " 

The  surprise  of  this  announcement  was  so  truly  over- 
powering, that  for  the  moment  the  mighty  mass  of  men 
stood  inert ;  then,  —  as  the  situation  flashed  upon  them, 
such  a  thunder  of  cheering  broke  out  as  seemed  to  make 
the  very  earth  rock  and  the  houses  in  the  square  tremble. 
The  King  himself,  standing  by  Thord,  grew  pale  as  he 
heard  it,  and  his  eyes  were  suffused  with  something  like 
tears. 

"  By  Heaven !  "  he  murmured ;  "  The  love  of  this 
people  is  worth  having !  " 

"  Did  you  ever  doubt  it?  "  queried  Thord  slowly,  eyeing 
him  with  a  touch  of  wonder  not  unmixed  with  jealousy  ; 
"  There  is  only  one  power  which  keeps  a  king  on  his 
throne  —  the  confidence  of  the  nation  !     You  had  nearlv 


King  and  Socialist  479 

lost  that !  For  though  there  is  nothing  so  easy  to  win, 
there  is  nothing  so  easy  to  lose !  " 

'True!"  said  the  monarch,  his  eyes  still  resting  ten- 
derly on  the  excited  multitude  below  him.  '  I  have  de- 
served little  at  the  people's  hands  —  but  perhaps  —  when 

1  am  gone "  he  paused  abruptly,  then  with  a  smile 

added  —  "  Give  us  our  marching  orders,  Sergius  ! ': 

Thord  obeyed,  —  and  very  soon,  under  his  command, 
the  huge  multitude  arranged  itself  in  blocks,  or  regi- 
ments, perfectly  organised  in  different  companies,  and 
entirely  prepared  to  keep  order.  Dividing  into  equal 
lines  they  made  way  quickly  and  with  enthusiasm  as  they 
perceived  the  King's  charger,  which,  richly  caparisoned, 
had  been  brought  for  his  Majesty  at  Thord's  own  earnest 
request. 

When  all  was  ready,  the  King  sprang  into  the  saddle, 
and  gathering  the  reins  in  one  hand,  sat  for  a  moment 
bare-headed,  the  people  surging  round  him  with  repeated 
outbursts  of  applause.  Without  a  weapon,  —  without  a 
single  man  of  his  own  household  to  bear  him  company,  — 
without  any  armed  escort, — he  remained  there  enthroned  ; 

—  the  centre,  —  not  of  '  society,'  —  but  of  the  People, 
who  gathered  round  him  as  their  visible  Head,  with  as 
much  shouting  and  enthusiasm  and  worship,  as  if  he  had, 
in  his  own  person,  made  the  conquest,  single-handed,  of 
a  hundred  nations  !    Never,  in  his  most  gorgeous  apparel, 

—  never,  even  when  robed  and  crowned  in  state,  had  he 
looked  so  noble ;  never  liad  he  seemed  so  worthy  of  the 
highest  honour,  reverence  and  admiration,  as  now !  At  a 
signal  from  Thord,  who  led  the  way  on  foot,  the  thousands 
of  the  city  began  to  march  to  the  House  of  Government, 
all  gathering  round  one  principal  figure,  that  of  their 
King.  A  group  of  workmen  constituted  themselves  his 
body-guard,  protecting  his  proudly-stepping  charger  from 
so  much  as  a  stone  that  might  startle  it  or  check  its  prog- 
ress, and  thus  —  liberated  from  the  protection  of  flunkeys 
and  flatterers,  —  the  monarch,  surrounded  by  his  true 
subjects  advanced  together  as  one  Body,  to  challenge  and 
overthrow  a  fraudulent  Ministry,  whose  measures  had 
been  drawn  up  and  passed,  not  for  the  good  of  the 
country,  but  for  the  financial  advantage  and  protection  of 
themselves. 


>J 


480  "Temporal  Power 

Never  was  such  a  wondrous  sight  seen,  as  that  almost 
interminable  procession  through  the  broad  thoroughfares 
of  the  city,  headed  by  a  Socialist,  and  centred  by  a  King ! 
No  Royal  ceremonial,  overburdened  with  snobbish  con- 
ventionalities and  hypocritical  parade,  ever  presented  so 
splendid  and  imposing  a  sight  as  that  concentrated  mass 
of  the  actual  people,  —  the  working  muscle  and  sinew  of 
the  land's  common  weal,  marching  in  steady  and  trium- 
phant order,  —  surging  like  the  billows  of  the  sea  around 
that  brave  ship,  their  Sovereign,  cheering  him  to  the 
echo,  and  waving  around  him  the  flags  of  the  country, 
while  he,  still  bare-headed,  rode  dauntless  in  their  midst 
looking  every  inch  a  king !  —  more  kingly  indeed  than 
he  had  ever  seemed,  and  more  established  in  the  affections 
of  his  subjects  than  any  living  monarch  of  the  time.  So 
was  he  brought  with  ceaseless  acclamation  to  the  Govern- 
ment House,  where,  as  all  knew,  he  purposed  denouncing 
Carl  Perousse ;  —  and  thus  did  he  assert  in  his  own  per- 
son that  a  king,  supported  by  a  nation,  is  more  powerful 
than  any  government  built  up  by  mere  party  agency ! 

And  even  so,  at  his  best  and  bravest,  two  women  looked 
upon  him  and  loved  him !  One,  from  the  outskirts  of  the 
great  crowd  where,  shrouded  close  in  her  veil,  she  waited 
tremblingly  near  the  Government  buildings,  and  saw  him 
alight  from  his  charger,  and  enter  there,  amid  the  wild 
shoutings  of  the  populace,  —  the  other,  from  a  high  win- 
dow in  the  Royal  Palace,  where  she  leaned  watching  the 
crowd,  —  the  sunlight  catching  the  diamonds  at  her  breast 
and  sparkling  in  her  proud  cold  eyes.  And  over  the 
whole  city  rang  the  continuous  and  exultant  cry : 

"  The  King !    The  King !  " 

And  perhaps  only  one  soul,  prophetic  in  instinct, 
foresaw  any  terror  in  the  triumph !  —  only  one  voice, 
low  and  tremulous  and  weighted  with  tears  and  prayers, 
murmured : 

"  Ah,  dear  God !    Would  he  were  not  a  King! " 


CHAPTER    XXXI 

A   VOTE    FOR    LOVE 

NEXT  clay  it  was  known  through  the  length  and 
breadth  of  the  city  that  the  King,  so  long  judged 
as  a  political  Dummy,  had  proved  himself  a  living,  act- 
ing authority.  Every  journal  in  city  and  province  led 
off  its  news  under  the  one  chief  heading,  — '  The  King's 
Speech.'  The  King  had  spoken;  —  and  with  no  uncer- 
tain voice.  Cool,  brilliant  in  wording,  concise  in  state- 
ment,— cuttingly  correct  in  facts,  convincing  in  argument, 
his  unexpected  denouncement  of  Carl  Perousse,  and  the 
Perousse  '  majority,'  swept  the  Government  off  their  feet 
by  its  daring  courage,  and  still  more  daring  veracity. 
Documentary  evidence  of  the  dishonourable  speculations 
with  the  public  money  which  had  been  so  freely  in- 
dulged in  by  the  Secretary  of  State,  aided  and  abetted 
by  the  Premier,  was  handed  by  the  King  in  person  to 
the  authorities  whose  business  it  was  to  examine  such 
proofs,  —  the  dishonourable  measures  used  to  retain 
the  '  majority  '  were  fully  exposed,  and  the  whole  House 
stood  thunderstruck  and  mentally  paralysed,  under  the 
straight  accusation  and  merciless  condemnation  launched 
at  their  own  lax  tolerance  of  such  iniquitous  practices, 
by  their  reigning  monarch.  With  perfect  dignity  and 
impressive  calm,  the  King  quietly  demanded  whether 
M.  Carl  Perousse  would  be  pleased  to  explain  his 
actions  ?  Whether  he  had  anything  to  say  in  response  to 
the  charges  brought  against  him  ?  To  this  last  query, 
after  a  dead  silence,  during  which  every  eye  was  fixed 
on  the  defaulting  Minister,  who,  in  the  course  of  the 
Royal  speech  had  seen  every  bulwark  of  his  own  intended 
defence  torn  away  from  him,  Perousse,  with  an  ashy 
white  countenance  answered : 

"Nothing!  " 

And  the  silence  around  him  continued ;   a  silence  more 
expressive  than  any  outspoken  word  of  scorn. 


1  -t 


482  "Temporal  Power 

But  more  surprises  were  in  store  for  the  Ministry, 
which  found  itself  thus  suddenly  overthrown.  The  King 
announced  the  marriage  of  his  son,  the  Crown  Prince,  to 
'  a  daughter  of  the  People ' !  Boldly,  and  with  an  ardent 
passion  of  truth  lighting  up  every  feature  of  his  handsome 
countenance,  he  stated  this  overwhelming  piece  of  news 
in  a  perfectly  matter-of-fact  way,  adding,  that  in  conse- 
quence of  the  step  taken,  —  a  step  which  he  did  not  him- 
self in  any  way  regret,  —  the  Crown  Prince  asked  to  be 
allowed  to  resign  the  Throne  in  favour  of  his  brother 
Rupert. 

"  Unless,"  continued  his  Majesty,  "  the  Nation  should 
be  proved  ready  to  accept  the  wife  he  has  chosen.  It  is 
needless  to  add  that  my  son  has  married  without  my  con- 
sent, and  this  is  the  reason  of  his  present  absence  from  the 
country.  If  the  Nation  accepts  his  wife,  he  will  return 
to  the  Nation ;  if  not,  I  am  bound  to  say,  knowing  his 
mind,  that  there  is  nothing  to  be  done,  but  to  declare 
Prince  Rupert  Heir  to  the  Throne.  This,  however,  I  per- 
sonally desire  may  be  left  to  the  consideration  and  vote 
of  the  people  !  " 

And  when  the  House  rose  on  that  astonishing  after- 
noon, they  knew  they  were  no  longer  a  House,  —  they 
knew  the  Government  was  entirely  overthrown,  and  that 
there  would  be  a  new  Ministry  and  a  General  Election. 
They  had  to  realise  also,  that  their  '  Bills  '  for  imposing 
fresh  taxes  on  the  people  were  mere  waste  paper,  —  and 
they  heard  likewise  with  redoubled  amazement  that  the 
King  had  decided  to  resign  half  his  revenues  for  the 
space  of  five  years,  to  assist  the  deficit  in  the  National 
Exchequer. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  whole  unprecedented  scene, 
they  saw  the  King  received,  as  it  were,  into  the  arms  of 
a  frenzied  crowd,  numbering  many  tens  of  thousands, 
which  spread  round  all  the  Government  buildings,  and 
poured  itself  in  thick  streams  through  every  street  and 
thoroughfare,  and  they  had  to  accept  the  fact  that  their 
'  majority  '  was  reduced  to  a  minority  so  infinitesimal, 
amid  the  greater  wave  of  popular  resolve,  that  it  was  not 
worth  counting. 

Carl  Perousse,  leaving  the  House  by  a  private  door  of 
egress,    shamed,    disgraced    and    crestfallen    as    he    was, 


A  Vote  for  Love  483 

dared  not  trust  the  very  sight  of  himself  to  such  an  over- 
whelming multitude,  and  managed  by  lucky  chance  to 
escape  unobserved.  He  was  assisted  in  this  manoeuvre  by 
(  reneral  Bernhoff.  The  Chief  of  the  Police  perceived 
him  slinking  cautiously  along  the  side-wall  of  an  alley 
where  the  crowd  had  not  penetrated,  and  helped  him  into 
a  passing  cab  that  he  might  be  driven  rapidly  and  safely 
to  his  home. 

"  You  will  no  doubt  excuse  me  "  —  said  the  General 
with  a  slight  smile  —  "  for  not  having  acted  more  rigor- 
ously in  the  matter  of  the  suspected  '  Pasquin  Leroy  ' !  I 
am  afraid  I  should  never  have  summed  up  sufficient  im- 
pudence to  ask  the  King  to  sign  a  warrant  against 
himself !  " 

Perousse  muttered  an  inarticulate  oath  by  way  of  reply. 
He  realised  fully  that  the  game  for  him  was  lost.  His 
speech  of  defence,  so  carefully  prepared  had  been  useless, 
for  he  could  not  have  uttered  it  in  the  face  of  the  damna- 
tory evidence  against  him  pronounced  by  the  King,  and 
verified  by  his  own  public  actions.  Yet  his  audacity  had 
not,  in  the  main,  deserted  him.  He  knew  that,  owing  to 
his  proved  defalcations  and  fraudulent  use  of  the  public 
money,  his  own  property  would  be  confiscated  to  the 
Crown,  —  but  he  had  always  kept  himself  well  prepared 
for  emergencies,  and  had  invested  in  foreign  securities 
under  various  assumed  names.  Turning  his  attention  to 
America,  he  felt  pretty  sure  he  could  do  something  there, 
—  but  so  far  as  his  own  country  was  concerned,  he  sub- 
mitted to  the  inevitable,  feeling  that  his  day  was  done. 

"The  Jew  is  always  triumphant!''  he  said,  as  he 
opened  Jost's  newspaper  next  morning,  and  read  a  full 
account  of  the  proceedings  in  the  House,  described  with 
all  the  '  colour  '  and  gush  of  Jost's  most  melodramatic 
reporter.  '  There  is  no  doubt  a  '  leader  '  on  my  '  unhappy 
position  '  as  a  fallen,  but  once  trusted  Minister ! '! 

He  was  right ;  there  was !  A  gravely-reproachful, 
sternly-commiserating  '  leader,'  wherein  the  apparently 
impeccable  and  highly  conscientious  writer  '  deplored  '  the 
laxity  of  those  who  supported  M.  Carl  Perousse  in  his 
'  regrettable  '  scheme  of  self-aggrandisement. 

"  The  rascal !  "  ejaculated  Perousse,  as  he  read.  "  If 
I  ever  get  a  fresh  start  in  the  United  States  or  South 


484  "Temporal  Power" 

Africa,  I  '11  put  him  on  a  gridiron,  and  roast  him  to  slow 
music !  " 

Meanwhile  the  whole  country  went  mad  over  the  King. 
No  man  was  ever  so  idolised ;  no  man  was  ever  made  the 
centre  of  more  hero-worship.  In  all  the  excitement  of  a 
General  Election,  the  wave  of  loyalty  rose  to  its  extremest 
height,  and  no  candidate  that  was  not  ready  to  follow  the 
lines  of  reform  laid  down  by  the  monarch,  had  a  ghost 
erf  a  chance  of  being  returned  as  a  deputy.  With  the"  abo- 
lition of  the  tax  on  bread,  the  popular  jubilation  increased ; 
bonfires  were  lit  on  every  hill,  —  rockets  flared  up  star- 
like from  every  rocky  point  upon  the  coast,  and  the  Na- 
tion gave  itself  entirely  up  to  joy. 

All  the  long  dormant  sentiment  of  the  multitude  was 
roused  to  a  fever-heat  by  the  story  of  Prince  Humphry's 
marriage,  and  he  too,  next  to  his  father,  became  a  veri- 
table hero  of  romance  in  the  eyes  of  the  people,  for  whom 
Love,  and  all  pertaining  to  love-matters  form  the  most 
interesting  part  of  life.  Following  his  announcement  in 
the  House,  the  King  issued  a  '  manifesto,'  setting  forth 
the  facts  of  his  son's  union  with  '  One  Gloria  Ronsard,  of 
The  Islands,'  and  requesting  the  vote  of  the  people  for, 
or  against,  the  Prince  as  Heir- Apparent  to  the  Throne. 

The  result  of  this  bold  and  candid  reliance  on  the  Na- 
tion was  one  which  could  never  have  been  foreseen  by  so- 
called  '  diplomatic '  statesmen,  who  are  accustomed  to 
juggle  with  simple  facts,  and  who  strive  to  cover  up  and 
conceal  the  too  distinct  plainness  of  truth.  An  electric 
thrill  of  chivalrous  enthusiasm  pulsated  through  the  entire 
country;  and  the  unanimous  vote  of  the  people  was  re- 
turned to  the  King  in  entire  favour  of  the  Crown  Prince 
and  his  chosen  bride.  Perhaps  no  one  was  more  as- 
tonished at  this  than  the  King  himself.  He  had  been 
prepared  for  considerable  friction;  he  had  been  cjuite 
sure  of  opposition  on  the  part  of  '  Society,'  but,  Society, 
moved  for  once  from  its  usual  selfishness  by  the  boldness 
and  daring  of  a  heroic  king,  had  ranked  itself  entirely  on 
his  side,  and  was  ready  and  even  anxious  to  accept  in 
Prince  Humphry  a  new  kind  of  '  Cophetua,'  even  if  he 
had  chosen  to  wed  a  beggar-maid!  And  it  so  chanced 
that  there  were  many  persons  who  had  seen  Gloria,  —  and 
among  these  was  Sergius  Thord.    He  had  not  only  seen 


A  Vote  for  Love  485 


her,  but  known  her ;  —  he  had  studied  her  character 
and  qualities,  —  and  was  aware  that  she  possessed  one  of 
the  most  pure  and  beautiful  of  womanly  souls;  —  and 
though  taken  by  surprise  at  the  discovery  that  the  young 
4  sailor  '  she  had  wedded  was  no  other  than  the  Crown 
Prince,  yet,  after  the  experience  he  had  personally  gone 
through  with  one  '  Pasquin  Leroy/  he  could  scarcely  feel 
that  any  news,  even  of  the  most  wonderful  kind,  was  so 
wonderful  after  all !  So  that,  as  soon  as  he  learned  the 
truth,  he  brought  all  his  enormous  '  following  '  into  unan- 
imity as  regarded  the  Prince's  romantic  love-story ;  and 
ere  long  there  was  not  one  in  the  metropolis  at  least,  who 
did  not  consider  the  marriage  a  good  thing,  and  likely  to 
weld  even  more  closely  together  the  harmonious  relation- 
ship between  people  and  Throne. 

And  so  it  chanced,  that  even  while  the  General  Election 
was  still  going  on  all  over  the  country,  an  incessant  popu- 
lar clamour  was  made  for  the  instant  return  of  the  Prince 
to  his  native  land.  The  papers  teemed  with  suggestions 
as  to  the  '  welcoming  home  '  of  the  young  hero  of  romance 
and  his  bride,  and  Professor  von  Glauben,  mentally  giddy 
with  the  whirl  of  events,  was  nevertheless  triumphantly 
elated. 

'  Now  that  you  know  everything,"  he  said  to  Sir  Roger 
de  Launay,  "  I  hope  you  are  satisfied !  My  '  jam-pot '  that 
you  spoke  of,  has  turned  out  to  be  a  special  Sweetmeat  for 
the  whole  nation  !  " 

4  I  am  very  much  surprised,  I  confess !  ''  said  Sir 
Roger  slowly ;  '  I  should  hardly  have  thought  such  a 
love-story  possible  in  these  modern  days.  And  I  should 
certainly  never  have  given  the  nation  credit  for  so  much 
sentiment !  " 

"  A  nation  is  always  sentimental !  "  declared  the  Pro- 
fessor; "  What  does  a  Government  exist  for?  Merely  to 
keep  national  sentiment  in  order.  Ministers  know  well 
enough,  that  despite  the  various  '  Bills  '  brought  in  for 
material  advantage  and  improvement,  they  have  always 
to  deal  with  the  imaginative  aspiration  of  the  populace, 
rather  than  their  conception  of  logic.  For  truly,  the 
masses  have  no  logic  at  all ;  they  will  not  stop  to  count 
the  cost  of  an  Army,  but  they  will  shout  themselves  hoarse 
ai  the  sight  of  the  Flag !    The  Flag  is  the  Sentiment ;  the 


486  "Temporal  Power 


a 


Army  is  the  Fact.  The  King  has  secured  all  the  votes  of 
the  nation  on  a  question  of  Sentiment  only,  —  but  there  is 
this  pleasant  scientific  fact  underlying  the  sentiment,  — 
Gloria  is  fit  to  be  the  mother  of  kings  !  And  that  is  what  I 
will  not  say  of  any  royally-born  woman  I  know !  " 

Sir  Roger  was  silent. 

"  Consider  our  present  Queen  as  a  mother  only !  "  he 
went  on ;  '  Beautiful  and  impassive  as  a  snow-peak  with 
the  snow  shining  upon  it !  What  of  her  sons  ?  The  Crown 
Prince  is  the  best  of  them,  —  but  he  has  only  been  saved 
from  inherited  mischief  by  his  love  for  Gloria.  The  other 
two  boys,  Rupert  and  Cyprian,  will  probably  be  selfish 
libertines !  " 

Sir  Roger  opened  his  eyes  in  astonishment. 

'  Why  do  you  say  that?  "  he  asked ;  "  They  are  harm- 
less lads  enough !  Cricket  and  football  are  enough  to 
make  them  happy." 

'  For  the  present,  no  doubt !  "  agreed  Von  Glauben ; 
'  But  it  sometimes  happens  that  the  young  human  animal 
who  expends  all  his  brains  on  kicking  a  football,  is  quite 
likely  to  expend  another  sort  of  force  when  he  grows  up, 
in  morally  kicking  other  things !  At  least,  that  is  how  I 
regard  it.  The  over-cultivation  of  physical  strength  leads 
to  mental  callousness  and  brutality.  These  are  scientific 
points  which  require  discussion,  —  not  with  you,  —  but 
with  a  scientist.  Nothing  should  be  overdone.  Too  much 
enervation  and  lack  of  athleticism  leads  to  moral  deteri- 
oration certainly,  —  but  so  does  too  much  '  sport '  as  they 
call  it.  There  is  a  happy  medium  to  be  obtained  on 
both  sides,  but  human  beings  generally  miss  it.  Prince 
Humphry,  born  of  a  beautiful,  introspective,  selfish  —  yes, 
I  repeat  it !  —  selfish  mother,  would,  if  he  had  married  a 
hard-natured,  cold  and  conventional  wife,  probably  have 
been  the  most  indifferent,  casual,  and  careless  sovereign 
that  ever  reigned ;  but,  united  as  he  is  to  a  trusting, 
warm-hearted,  loving,  womanly  woman  like  Gloria,  he 
will  probably  make  himself  the  idol  of  the  Nation." 

'  Not  more  so  than  his  father  is !  "  said  Sir  Roger,  with 
a  smile. 

"  Ach  so !  That  would  be  difficult,  I  grant  you !  " 
agreed  the  Professor ;  "  As  I  told  you,  Roger,  at  the  be- 
ginning of  this  drama  in  which  we  have  both  played  our 


A  Vote  for  Love  487 

little  parts;  no  harm  ever  came  undeservedly  to  a  brave 
man  with  a  good  conscience !  " 

"  True !  And  no  harm  has  come  to  the  King  —  as 
yet !  "  said  Sir  Roger  thoughtfully.  '  But  I  sometimes 
fear  one  man !  " 

"  Sergius  Thord  ?  "  suggested  Von  Glauben  ;  '  To 
speak  honestly,  so  do  I !  But  I  watch  him  —  I  watch  him 
closely !  He  loves  Lotys,  as  a  tiger  loves  its  mate,  —  and 
if  he  should  ever  suspect !  " 

'  Hush  !  "  said  Roger  quickly  ;  "  Do  not  speak  of  it !  I 
assure  you  lam  always  on  guard !  " 

"  Good !  So  am  I !  But  Thord  is  too  busy  just  now 
climbing  the  hill  to  look  either  backward  or  aside.  When 
he  reaches  the  summit,  it  is  possible  he  may  see  the  whole 
landscape  at  a  glance !  " 

"  He  will  reach  the  summit  very  soon !  '  said  De 
Launay ;  "  His  election  as  deputy  for  the  city,  is  certain. 
From  the  moment  he  announced  himself  as  candidate, 
there  has  been  no  opposition." 

'  He  will  be  returned  by  an  overwhelming  majority," 
said  the  Professor;  "  And  he  will  gain  all  the  power  he 
has  been  working  for.  Also,  with  the  power,  he  will  ob- 
tain all  the  difficulty,  responsibility,  disappointment  and 
bitterness.  Power  is  a  dangerous  possession,  unless  it  is 
accompanied  by  a  cool  head ;  and  in  that  our  friend  Ser- 
gius Thord  is  lacking.  He  is  a  creature  of  impulse  —  and 
a  savage  creature  too !  —  a  half -educated  genius,  —  than 
which  nothing  in  the  shape  of  humanity  is  more  desper- 
ately difficult  to  manage !  " 

"  Lotys  can  manage  him !  "  said  Sir  Roger. 

"  That  depends !  ':  And  the  Professor  rubbed  his  nose 
irritably.  "  Women  are  excellent  diplomatists  up  to  a 
certain  point,  but  their  limit  is  reached  when  they  fall  in 
love !  Passion  and  enthusiasm  transform  them  into  quite 
as  absurd  fools  as  —  men  !  " 

Sir  Roger  smiled,  and  changed  the  subject. 

But  in  a  few  days,  what  had  been  foreshadowed  in  their 
conversation  came  true.  One  of  the  chief  results  of  the 
General  Election  .  was  the  triumphal  return  of  Sergius 
Thord  as  Deputy  for  the  Metropolis  by  an  enormous  ma- 
jority ;  and  in  the  evening  of  the  day  on  which  the  polling 
was  declared,  great  crowds  assembled  beneath  the  win- 


488  "Temporal  Power' 

dows  of  his  house,  —  that  house  so  long  known  as  the 
quarters  of  the  Revolutionary  Committee,  —  roaring 
themselves  hoarse  with  acclamation.  He  was,  of  course, 
called  out  before  them  to  speak,  —  and  he  yielded  to  the 
clamorous  demand,  as  perforce  he  was  bound  to  do,  but 
strangely  enough,  with  extreme  reluctance. 

A  certain  vague  weariness  depressed  his  spirits  ;  his 
undisputed  election  as  one  of  the  most  important  Govern- 
ment-representatives of  the  people,  lacked  the  savour  of 
the  triumph  he  had  expected ;  —  and  like  all  those  who 
have  worked  for  years  to  win  a  coveted  post  and  succeed 
at  last  in  winning  it,  he  was  filled  with  the  fatal  satiety 
of  accomplishment.  Power,  —  temporal  power,  —  was 
after  all  not  so  great  as  it  had  seemed !  He  had  climbed 
—  he  had  striven ;  but  all  the  joy  was  contained  in  the 
climbing  and  the  striving.  Now  that  he  had  gained  his 
point  there  seemed  nothing  left  to  prick  afresh  his  flag- 
ging ambition.  Nevertheless,  he  succeeded  in  addressing 
his  enthusiastic  followers  and  worshippers  with  some- 
thing of  his  old  fervour  and  fire,  —  sufficiently  well,  at 
any  rate,  to  satisfy  them,  and  send  them  off  with  renewed 
shouts  of  exultation,  expressive  of  their  continued  re- 
liance on  his  courage  and  ability.  But,  when  left  alone  at 
last,  his  heart  suddenly  failed  him. 

"  What  is  the  use  of  it!  "  he  thought  wearily;  "  True, 
I  now  represent  the  city,  —  I  lead  its  opinions  —  I  am  its 
mouth-piece  for  the  State,  —  and  the  wrongs  and  injuries 
done  to  the  million  are  mine  to  bring  before  the  Govern- 
ment ;  and  my  business  it  will  be  to  force  remedial  meas- 
ures for  the  same.  But  what  then  ?  There  will  be,  there 
must  be,  constant  discussion,  argument,  contradiction,  — 
for  there  are  always  conflicting  opinions  in  every  aspect 
of  human  affairs,  —  and  it  will  be  my  work  to  put  down 
all  contradiction,  —  all  opposition,  —  and  to  carry  the 
People's  Cause  with  a  firm  hand.  Yet  —  after  all,  if  I 
succeed,  it  will  be  the  King's  doing,  —  not  mine !  To 
him  I  partly  owe  my  present  power;  the  power  I  had 
before,  was  all  my  own  !  " 

Sullen  and  silent  he  brooded  on  the  changes  in  his 
fortunes  with  no  very  satisfied  mind.  While  he  could  not, 
as  a  brave  man,  refuse  his  respect  and  homage  to  the  mon- 
arch who  had  quietly  made  himself  complete  master  of 


A  Vote  for  Love  489 

the  '  Revolutionary  '  organisation,  and  who  had  succeeded 
in  turning  thousands  of  disaffected  persons  into  ardent 
Loyalists,  he  was  nevertheless  troubled  by  a  lurking  sus- 
picion that  Lotys  had  secretly  known  and  favoured  the 
King's  scheme.  Vaguely  ashamed  in  his  own  mind  of  the 
idea,  he  yet  found  himself  giving  way  to  it  now  and  again, 
as  he  remembered  how  she  had  defended  his  life, --not 
once  but  twice,  —  and  how  she  had  often  frankly  declared 
her  admiration  for  the  unselfishness,  heroism,  and  tireless 
energy  of  the  so-called  '  Pasquin  Leroy.'  After  much 
perplexed  meditation,  he  came  at  last  to  one  resolve. 

"  She  must  be  my  wife !  "  he  said,  his  eyes  gleaming 
with  a  sudden  fire  of  passion  and  determination  com- 
bined ;  "  If,  —  as  she  says,  —  she  does  not  love  me,  she 
must  learn  to  love  me !  Then,  all  will  be  well !  With  her, 
it  is  possible  I  may  reach  still  greater  heights ;  without 
her,  I  can  do  nothing!  " 

Meantime,  while  the  results  of  the  Election  to  what 
was  now  called  '  The  Royal  Government,'  were  being 
daily  recorded  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  the  King 
himself,  from  a  selection  of  the  ablest  and  most  honour- 
ably-proved men  of  the  time,  was  forming  a  new  Ministry, 
the  news  of  these  radical  changes  in  the  kingdom's  affairs, 
spreading  rapidly  everywhere  by  cable,  as  news  always 
spreads  nowadays,  reached  a  certain  far  corner  in  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  provinces  of  India,  —  a  corner  scarcely 
known  to  the  conventional  traveller,  —  where,  in  a  won- 
drous palace,  lent  to  them  by  one  of  the  most  civilised 
and  kindly  of  Oriental  potentates,  —  a  palace  surrounded 
by  gardens  that  might  have  been  a  true  copy  of  the  fabled 
Eden,  Prince  Humphry  and  the  fair  '  Gloria  '  of  his  life, 
were  passing  a  happy,  '  hidden-away '  time  of  perfect 
repose. 

The  evening  on  which  they  learned  that  their  own 
nation  demanded  their  return  was  '  like  the  night  of  Al- 
Kadir,  better  than  a  thousand  months.'  All  day  long  the 
heat  had  been  intense,  —  and  they  had  remained  indoors 
enjoying  the  coolness  of  marble  courts  and  corridors, 
and  plashing  fountains,  —  but  with  the  sunset  a  soft 
breeze  had  sprung  up,  and  Gloria,  passing  into  the  shad- 
iest corner  of  the  gardens,  had  laid  herself  down  in  a 
silken    hammock    swung   between    two   broad    sycamore 


1 1 


49°  "Temporal  Power 

trees,  and  there,  gently  swaying  to  and  fro,  she  watched 
her  husband  reading  the  various  European  journals  that 
had  arrived  for  his  host  by  that  day's  mail.  Beautiful 
always,  she  had  grown  lovelier  than  ever  in  these  halcyon 
days  of  rest,  when  '  Love  took  up  the  harp  of  Life  and 
smote  oil  all  the  chords  with  might ;  Smote  the  chord  of 
Self,  that,  trembling,  pass'd  in  music  out  of  sight/  To 
her  native  grace  she  now  united  a  distinctive  dignity 
which  added  to  her  always  gracious  and  queenly  charm, 
and  never  had  she  looked  more  exquisite  than  now,  when 
rocking  gently  in  the  suspended  network  of  woven  tur- 
quoise silk  fringed  with  silver,  she  rested  her  head  against 
cushions  of  the  same  delicate  hue,  and  turned  her  ex- 
pressive eyes  enquiringly  towards  her  husband,  —  won- 
dering what  kept  him  so  silent,  and  what  was  the  cause 
of  the  little  line  of  anxiety  which  furrowed  his  brow. 
Clad  in  a  loose  diaphanous  robe  of  white,  with  a  simple 
band  of  silver  clasping  it  round  her  supple  form,  her  rich 
hair  caught  carelessly  back  with  a  knot  of  scarlet  passion- 
flowers, she  looked  a  creature  too  fair  for  earth,  a  being 
all  divine ;  and  the  Prince  presently  turning  his  glances 
towards  her,  evidently  thought  so,  from  the  adoring  ten- 
derness with  which  he  bent  over  her  and  kissed  the  ripe, 
red,  smiling  lips  which  pouted  so  deliciously  to  take  the 
offered  caress. 

'  They  want  us  back,  my  Gloria !  '  he  said ;  "  The 
Nation  asks  for  me  —  and  for  you!" 

She  raised  herself  a  little  on  one  arm. 

"Do  they  know  all?" 

"  Yes !  The  King,  my  father,  has  announced  every- 
thing concerning  our  marriage,  not  only  to  the  Govern- 
ment, but  by  special  '  manifesto  '  to  the  People.  I  did 
not  think  he  would  be  so  brave!  " 

"  Or  so  true !  "  said  Gloria,  her  eyes  darkening  and 
deepening  with  the  intensity  of  her  thought.  '  Let  me 
read  this  strange  news,  Humphry !  " 

He  gave  her  the  papers,  —  and  a  few  tears  sparkled 
on  her  lashes  like  diamonds  and  fell,  as  with  a  beating 
heart  she  read  of  the  complete  triumph  of  the  King  over 
the  Socialist  and  Revolutionary  party,  —  of  his  march 
with  the  multitude  to  the  Government  House,  —  of  his 
bold  denunciation  of  Carl  Perousse,  ending  in  the  utter 


A  Vote  for  Love  491 

overthrow  of  a  fraudulent  Ministry,  —  and  of  his  deter- 
mination to  renounce  for  five  years,  one  half  his  royal 
revenues  in  order  to  personally  assist  the  deficit  in  the 
National  Exchequer. 

"  fie  is,  in  very  truth  a  King!  "  she  said,  looking  up 
with  flushed  cheeks  and  sparkling  eyes,  —  "  Surely  the 
noblest  in  the  world !  " 

Prince  Humphry's  face  expressed  wonderment  as  well 
as  admiration. 

'  I  have  been  utterly  mistaken  in  him,"  — he  confessed, 
— "  Or  else,  something  has  greatly  changed  his  ideas, 
f  should  never  have  deemed  him  capable  of  running  so 
much  risk  of  his  position,  or  of  showing  so  much  heroism, 
candour  and  self-sacrifice.  All  my  life  I  have  been  ac- 
customed to  see  him  more  or  less  indifferent  to  everything 
but  his  own  pleasure,  and  more  or  less  careless  of  the 
griefs  of  others ;  but  now  it  seems  as  if  he  had  kept  him- 
self back  on  purpose,  only  to  declare  his  true  character 
more  openly  and  boldly  in  the  end !  " 

Gloria  read  on,  with  eagerness  and  interest,  till  she 
came  to  the  King's  '  manifesto  '  regarding  his  son's  mar- 
riage with  '  a  daughter  of  the  People.'  She  pointed  to 
this  expression  with  the  tapering,  rosy  point  of  her  deli- 
cate little  finger. 

'  That  is  me !  "  she  said ;  '  I  am  a  daughter  of  the 
People  !     I  am  proud  of  the  name !  " 

"  You  are  my  wife!  "  said  the  Prince;  "  And  you  are 
Crown  Princess  of  the  realm !  " 

She  looked  meditative. 

"  I  am  not  sure  I  like  that  title  so  well !  "  she  said 
surveying  him  archly  under  the  shadow  of  her  long 
lashes;  "Indeed  —  if  you  were  not  Crown  Prince, — 
I  should  not  like  it  at  all !  " 

Prince  Humphry  smiled,  and  tenderly  touched  the  scar- 
let passion-flowers  in  her  hair. 

"  But  as  T  am  Crown  Prince,  you  will  try  to  put  up 
with  it,  my  Gloria !  "  and  he  kissed  her  again.  '  We  must 
return  home,  Sweetheart !  —  and  as  speedily  as  possible. 
—  though  I  am  sorry  our  restful  honey-time  is  over !  " 

Gloria  looked  wistfully  around  her,  —  over  the  long 
smooth  undulating  lawns,  the  thickets  of  myrtle  and 
orange,  the  lovely  deep  groves  of  trees,  and  away  to  the 


492  "Temporal  Power' 

peaks  of  the  distant  dark  blue  hills,  over  which  a  great 
golden  moon  was  slowly  rising. 

"  I  am  sorry  too!  "  she  said ;  "  I  could  live  always  like 
this,  in  peace  with  you,  far,  far  away  from  all  the  world ! 
Hark !  " 

She  held  up  her  hand  to  invite  attention,  as  the  delicious 
warble  of  a  nightingale,  or  '  bul-bul '  broke  the  heated 
silence  into  liquid  melody.  Her  lover-husband  took  that 
little  uplifted  hand,  and  drawing  it  in  his  own,  kissed  it 
fondly,  —  and  so  for  a  moment  they  were  very  quiet, 
while  the  little  brown  bird  of  music  poured  from  its 
palpitating  throat  a  cadence  of  heart-moving  song.  Grad- 
ually, the  golden  splendour  of  the  Indian  moonlight 
widened  through  the  trees,  enveloping  them  in  its  clear 
luminous  radiance ;  and  the  two  beautiful  human  creat- 
ures, gazing  into  each  other's  eyes  with  all  the  unspeak- 
able rapture  of  a  perfect  love,  touched  that  wondrous 
height  of  pure  mutual  passion  which  makes  things  tem- 
poral seem  very  far  off,  and  things  eternal  very  near. 

"  If  life  could  always  be  like  this,"  murmured  Gloria  ; 

'  We  should  surely  understand  God  better !     We  should 

feel  that  He  truly  loved  us,  and  wished  us  to  love  each 

other !    Ah,  if  only  all  the  world  were  as  happy  as  I  am  !  " 

"  You  will  help  to  make  a  great  part  of  it  so,  my  be- 
loved! "  said  the  Prince;  "You  will  bring  with  you  into 
our  kingdom,  comfort  for  the  sorrowful,  aid  to  the  poor, 
sympathy  for  the  lonely,  thought  for  all !  You  will  for- 
get nothing  that  calls  for  your  remembrance,  my  Sweet ! 
And  one  nation  at  least,  will  know  what  it  is  to  have  a 
true  woman's  love  to  light  up  the  darkness  of  a  Throne !  " 

That  night  a  cable  message  was  sent  by  the  Prince  to 
his  father,  stating  his  intention  to  return  home  immedi- 
ately. The  Oriental  potentate  who  had  generously  placed 
his  palace  at  the  Royal  lovers'  disposal,  and  had  relig- 
iously preserved  the  secret  of  their  identity  and  where- 
abouts, being  himself  much  fascinated  and  interested  by 
the  romance  of  their  story,  now  commanded  festivals 
and  illuminations  for  their  entertainment  before  their 
departure,  and  within  a  fortnight  of  the  despatch  of  his 
message,  the  Prince's  yacht  had  left  the  mystic  shores 
of  the  East,  and  started  on  its  homeward  journey. 

The  news  that  the  Crown  Prince  was  returning  with 


A  Vote  for  Love  493 

his  bride,  set  all  the  country  in  a  flutter  of  excitement,  and 
the  General  Election  being  concluded,  and  the  meeting-  of 
the  new  Government  being  deferred  until  after  the  Heir- 
Apparent's  return,  the  people  of  every  city  and  town  and 
province  set  themselves  busily  to  work  to  prepare  suit- 
able festivities  for  the  homecoming  of  the  Royal  pair. 
At  The  Islands  especially  the  spirit  of  enthusiasm  was 
complete  —  all  sorts  of  ideas  for  fetes  and  sports,  and 
bonfires  and  illuminations,  exercised  the  minds  of  the 
simple  fisher-folk,  who  were  wild  with  joy  at  the  singular 
destiny  that  had  befallen  their  '  waif  of  the  sea  '  as  they 
were  wont  to  call  the  beautiful  girl  who  had  grown  up 
among  them,  —  and  the  aged  Rene  Ronsard  was  made 
the  centre  of  their  interest  and  attention,  —  even  of  their 
adulation.  But  Ronsard  had  grown  very  listless  of  late. 
His  age  began  to  tell  heavily  upon  him,  and  the  news 
that  Gloria  was  returning  in  all  triumph  as  Crown  Prin- 
cess, moved  him  but  little. 

"  She  would  have  been  happier  as  a  simple  sailor's 
wife !  '"  he  averred,  when  Professor  von  Glauben,  who 
visited  him  constantly,  sought  to  rouse  him  from  the 
apathy  into  which  he  appeared  to  have  sunk.  '  The 
greater  the  position,  the  heavier  the  burden !  —  the  more 
outwardly  brilliant  the  appearance  of  life,  the  deeper  its 
secret  bitterness !  " 

"  P)Ut  Gloria  has  Love  with  her,  my  friend !  "  urged 
the  Professor ;  "  And  Love  makes  the  bitterest  things 
sweet !  " 

Ronsard's  aged  eyes  sparkled  faintly. 

"Ay,  Love!"  he  echoed;  "A  dream  —  a  delusion  — 
and  a  snare !  Unless  it  be  a  love  strong  enough  to  drag 
one  down  to  death !  —  and  then  it  is  the  strongest  power 
in  the  world !  It  is  a  terror  and  a  martyrdom,  ■ —  and  in 
nothing  shall  its  desire  be  thwarted!  If  It  calls  —  even 
kings  obey !  " 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

BETWEEN    TWO    PASSIONS 

SLOWLY,  and  with  hesitating  steps,  Sergius  Thord 
mounted  the  long  flight  of  stairs  leading  to  the  quiet 
attic  which  Lotys  called  '  home.'  Here  she  lived ;  here 
she  had  chosen  to  live  ever  since  Thord  had  made  her, 
as  he  said,  the  '  Soul  of  the  Revolutionary  Ideal.'  Here, 
since  the  King  had  conquered  the  Revolutionary  Ideal 
altogether,  and  had  made  it  a  Loyalist  centre,  did  she 
dwell  still,  though  she  had  now  some  thoughts  of  yielding 
to  the  child  Pequita's  earnest  pleading,  and  taking  up  her 
abode  with  her  and  her  father,  in  a  pretty  little  house  in 
the  suburbs  which,  since  Pequita's  success  as  premiere 
danseuse  at  the  Opera,  Sholto  had  been  able  to  afford, 
and  to  look  upon  as  something  like  a  comfortable  dwell- 
ing-place. For  with  the  election  of  Thord  to  the  dignity 
of  a  Deputy,  had,  of  course,  come  the  necessity  of  re- 
signing his  old  quarters  where  his  '  Revolutionary  '  meet- 
ings had  been  held,  —  and  he  now  resided  in  a  more 
'  respectable  '  quarter  of  the  city,  in  such  sober,  yet  dis- 
tinctive fashion  as  became  one  who  was  a  friend  of  the 
King's,  and  who  was  likely  to  be  a  Minister  some  day, 
when  he  had  further  proved  his  political  mettle.  So  that 
Sholto  had  no  longer  any  need  to  try  and  eke  out  a  scanty 
subsistence  by  letting  rooms  to  revolutionists  and  '  sus- 
pects '  generally,  —  and  Thord  himself  had  helped  him 
to  make  a  change  for  the  better,  as  had  also  the  King. 

But  Lotys  had  not  as  yet  moved.  She  had  lived  so 
long  among  the  desperately  poor,  who  were  accustomed 
to  go  to  her  for  sympathy  and  aid,  that  she  could  not  con- 
template leaving  so  many  sick  and  suffering  and  sorrowful 
ones  alone  to  fight  their  bitter  battle.  So  had  she  said,  at 
least,  to  Thord,  when  he  had  endeavoured  to  persuade  her 
to  establish  herself  in  greater  comfort,  and  in  a  part  of  the 


Between  Two  Passions       495 

city  which  had  a  '  better-class  '  reputation.  She  had  lis- 
tened to  his  suggestions  with  a  somewhat  melancholy 
smile. 

"Once, --and  not  so  very  long  ago,  —  for  you  there 
was  no  such  thing  as  the  '  better-class,'  Sergius !  "  she 
said ;  "  You  were  wont  to  declare  that  rich  and  poor  alike 
were  all  one  family  in  the  sight  of  God !  " 

"  I  have  not  altered  my  opinion,"  said  Thord,  a  slight 
flush  colouring  his  cheek  ;  '  But  —  you  are  a  woman  — 
and  as  a  woman  should  have  every  care  and  tenderness." 

"  So  should  my  still  poorer  sisters,"  she  replied ;  "  And 
it  is  for  those  who  have  least  comfort,  that  comfort  should 
be  provided.  I  am  perfectly  well  and  happy  where  I 
am!" 

Remembering  her  fixed  ideas  on  this  point,  there  was 
an  uneasy  sense  of  trouble  in  Thord's  mind  as  he  ventured 
again  on  what  he  feared  would  be  a  fruitless  errand. 

'If  I  could  command  her!"  he  thought,  chafing  in- 
wardly at  his  own  impotence  to  persuade  or  lead  this 
woman,  whose  character  and  will  were  so  much  more  self- 
contained  and  strong  than  his  own.  '  If  I  could  only 
exercise  some  authority  over  her !  But  I  cannot.  What 
small  debt  of  gratitude  she  owed  me  as  a  child,  has  long 
been  cleared  by  her  constant  work  and  the  assistance  she 
has  given  to  me,  —  and  unless  she  will  consent  to  be  my 
wife,  I  know  I  shall  lose  her  altogether.  For  she  will 
never  submit  to  live  on  money  that  she  has  not  earned." 

Arrived  at  the  summit  of  the  staircase  he  had  been 
climbing,  he  knocked  at  the  first  door  which  faced  him  on 
the  uppermost  landing. 

"  Come  in !  "  said  the  low,  sweet  voice  that  had  thrilled 
and  comforted  so  many  human  souls ;  and  entering  as  he 
was  bidden,  he  saw  Lotys  seated  in  a  low  chair  near  the 
window,  rocking  a  tiny  infant,  so  waxen-like  and  meagre, 
that  it  looked  more  like  a  corpse  than  a  living  child. 

'  The  mother  died  last  night,"  she  said  gently,  in 
response  to  his  look  of  interrogation ;  "  She  had  been 
struggling  against  want  and  sickness  for  a  long  time. 
God  was  merciful  in  taking  her  at  last !  The  father  has  to 
go  out  all  day  in  search  of  work,  —  often  a  vain  search ; 
so  I  do  what  I  can  for  this  poor  little  one!  " 

And  she  bent  over  the  forlorn  waif  of  humanity,  kissing 


496  "Temporal  Power" 

its  pale  small  face,  and  pressing  it  soothingly  to  her  warm, 
full  breast.  She  looked  quite  beautiful  in  that  Madonna- 
like attitude  of  protection  and  love,  —  her  gold  hair 
drooping  against  the  slim  whiteness  of  her  throat,  —  her 
deep  blue  eyes  full  of  that  tenderness  for  the  defence- 
less and  weak,  which  is  the  loveliest  of  all  womanly 
expressions. 

Sergius  Thord  drew  a  chair  opposite  to  her,  and  sat 
down. 

'  You  are  always  doing  good,  Lotys !  "  he  said,  with  a 
slight  tremor  in  his  voice ;  "  There  is  no  day  in  your  life 
without  its  record  of  help  to  the  helpless !  " 

She  shook  her  head  deprecatingly,  and  went  on  caress- 
ing and  soothing  the  tiny  babe  in  silence. 

After  a  pause,  he  spoke  again. 

"  I  have  come  to  you,  Lotys,  to  ask  you  many  things !  " 

She  looked  up  with  a  little  smile. 

"  Do  you  need  advice,  Sergius  ?  Nay,  surely  not !  — 
you  have  passed  beyond  it  —  you  are  a  great  man !  " 

He  moved  impatiently. 

"  Great?  What  do  you  mean?  I  am  Deputy  for  the 
city,  it  is  true  —  but  that  is  not  the  height  of  my  ambition  ; 
it  is  only  a  step  towards  it." 

'  To  what  do  you  aspire?  "  she  queried.  "  A  place  in 
the  Ministry  ?  You  will  get  that  if  you  wait  long  enough  ! 
And  then  —  will  you  be  satisfied  ?  " 

"  No  —  I  shall  never  be  satisfied never  till " 

He  broke  off  and  shifted  his  position.  His  fierce  eyes 
rested  tenderly  upon  her  as  she  sat  holding  the  motherless 
infant  caressingly  in  her  arms. 

'  You  have  heard  the  latest  news  ?  "  he  asked  presently, 
"  That  Carl  Perousse  has  left  the  country?  " 

'  No,  I  have  not  heard  that,"  said  Lotys ;  "  But  win- 
was  he  allowed  to  go  without  being  punished  for  his 
dishonesty  ?  " 

"  To  punish  him,  would  have  involved  the  punishment 
of  many  more  associated  with  him,"  replied  Thord  ;  "  His 
estates  are  confiscated ;  —  the  opportunity  was  given  him 
to  escape,  in  order  to  avoid  further  Ministerial  scandals, 
—  and  he  has  taken  the  chance  afforded  him !  " 

She  was  silent. 

"  Jost  too  has  gone,"  pursued  Thord;    "He  has  sold 


Between  Two  Passions       497 

his  paper  to  his  chief  rival.  So  that  now  both  journals 
are  amalgamated  under  one  head,  and  work  for  the  same 
cause  —  our  cause,  and  the  King's." 

Lotys  looked  up  with  a  slight  smile. 

'It  is  the  same  old  system  then?"  she  said.  'For 
whereas  before  there  was  one  newspaper  subsidised  by  a 
fraudulent  Ministry,  there  are  now  two,  subsidised  by  the 
Royal  Government ;  —  with  which  the  Socialist  party  is 
united !  " 

He  frowned 

'  You  mistake !  We  shall  subsidise  no  newspaper  what- 
ever.   We  shall  not  pursue  any  such  mistaken  policy." 

"  Believe  me,  you  will  be  compelled  to  do  so,  Sergius !  " 
she  declared,  still  smiling;  "Or  some  other  force  will 
step  in !  Do  you  not  see  that  politics  always  revolve  in  the 
same  monotonous  round?  You  have  called  me  the  Soul 
of  an  Ideal,  —  but  even  when  I  worked  my  hardest  with 
you,  I  knew  it  was  an  Ideal  that  could  never  be  realised ! 
But  the  practice  of  your  theories  led  me  among  the  poor, 
where  I  felt  I  could  be  useful,  —  and  for  this  reason  I 
conjoined  what  brains  I  had,  what  strength  I  had,  with 
yours.  Yet,  no  matter  how  men  talk  of  '  Revolution,'  any 
and  every  form  of  government  is  bound  to  run  on  the  old 
eternal  lines,  whether  it  be  Imperial,  Socialistic  or  Re- 
publican. Men  are  always  the  same  children  —  never 
satisfied,  —  ever  clamouring  for  change,  —  tired  of  one 
toy  and  crying  for  another,  —  so  on  and  on,  —  till  the 
end !  I  would  rather  save  a  life  "  —  and  she  glanced 
pityingly  down  upon  the  sleeping  infant  she  held — "than 
upset  a  throne!  " 

'  I  quite  believe  that ;  "  said  Sergius  slowly ;  "  You  are 
a  woman,  most  womanly !  If  you  could  only  learn  to 
love " 

He  paused,  startled  at  the  sudden  rush  of  colour  that 
spread  over  her  cheeks  and  brow ;  but  it  was  a  wave  of 
crimson  that  soon  died  away,  leaving  her  very  pale. 

"  Love  is  not  for  me,  Sergius !  "  she  said  ;  "  I  am  no 
longer  young.  Besides,  the  days  of  romance  never  ex- 
isted for  me  at  all,  and  now  it  is  too  late.  I  have  grown 
too  much  into  the  habit  of  looking  upon  men  as  poor  little 
emmets,  clambering  up  and  down  the  same  tiny  hill  of 
earth,  —  their  passions,   their  ambitions,  their  emotions, 

32 


498  "Temporal  Power' 

their  fightings  and  conquests,  their  panoply  and  pride,  do 
not  interest  me,  though  they  move  me  to  pity ;  I  seem  to 
stand  alone,  looking  beyond,  straight  through  the  glorious 
world  of  Nature,  up  to  the  infinite  spaces  above,  searching 
for  God !  " 

"  Yet  you  care  for  that  waif?  "  said  Thord  with  a  ges- 
ture towards  the  child  she  held. 

"Because  it  is  helpless,"  she  answered;  "only  that! 
If  it  ever  lives  to  grow  up  and  be  a  man,  it  will  forget  that 
a  woman  ever  held  it,  or  cherished  it  so !  No  wild  beast 
of  the  forest  —  no  treacherous  serpent  of  the  jungle,  is 
more  cruel  in  its  inherited  nature,  than  man  when  he  deals 
with  woman  ;  —  as  lover,  he  betrays  her,  —  as  wife,  he 
neglects  her,  —  as  mother,  he  forgets  her !  " 

"  You  have  a  bad  opinion  of  my  sex !  "  said  Thord,  half 
angrily;   "  Would  you  say  thus  much  of  the  King? ' 

She  started,  then  controlled  herself. 

"The  King  is  brave, — but  beyond  exceptional  courage, 
I  do  not  think  he  differs  from  other  men." 

"  Have  you  seen  him  lately?  " 

"  No." 

The  answer  came  coldly,  and  with  evident  resentment 
at  the  query.  Thord  hesitated  a  minute  or  two,  looking  at 
her  yearningly ;  then  he  suddenly  laid  his  hand  on  her 
arm. 

"  Lotys!  "  he  said  in  a  half-whisper;  '  If  you  would 
only  love  me!     If  you  would  be  my  wife!  " 

She  raised  her  dark-blue  pensive  eyes. 

"  My  poor  Sergius !  With  all  your  triumphs,  do  you 
still  hanker  for  a  wayside  weed  ?  Alas  !  —  the  weed  has 
tough  roots  that  cannot  be  pulled  up  to  please  you !  I 
would  make  you  happy  if  I  could,  dear  friend !  —  but  in 
the  way  you  ask,  I  cannot !  " 

His  heart  beat  thickly. 

"  Why  ?  " 

"  Why  ?  Ask  why  the  rain  will  not  melt  marble  into 
snow !  I  love  you,  Sergius  —  but  not  with  such  love  as 
you  demand.  And  I  would  not  be  your  wife  for  all  the 
world !  " 

He  restrained  himself  with  difficulty. 

"Again  — why?" 

She  gave  a  slight  movement  of  impatience. 


Between  Two  Passions       499 

"  In  the  first  place,  because  we  should  not  agree.  In 
the  second  place,  because  I  abhor  the  very  idea  of  mar- 
riage. I  see,  day  by  day,  what  marriage  means,  even 
among  the  poor  —  the  wreck  of  illusions  —  the  death  of 
ideals  —  the  despairing  monotony  of  a  mere  struggle  to 
live " 

'  I  shall  not  be  poor  now  ;  "  said  Thord ;  "  All  my  work 
would  be  to  make  you  happy,  Lotys !  I  would  surround 
you  with  every  grace  and  luxury  —  with  love,  with  wor- 
ship, with  tenderness !  With  your  intelligence  and  fasci- 
nation vou  would  be  honoured,  —  famous  !  " 

He  broke  off,  interrupted  by  her  gesture  of  annoyance. 

'Let  me  hear  no  more  of  this,  Sergius!"  she  said. 
'  You  were  very  good  to  me  when  I  was  a  castaway  child, 
and  I  do  not  forget  it.  But  you  must  not  urge  a  claim 
upon  me  to  which  I  cannot  respond.  I  have  given  some 
of  the  best  years  of  my  life  to  assist  your  work,  to  win 
you  your  followers,  —  and  to  advance  what  I  have  always 

recognised  as  an  exalted,  though  impossible  creed 

but  now,  for  the  rest  of  the  time  left  to  me,  I  must  have 
my  own  way  !  " 

He  sprang  up  suddenly  and  confronted  her. 

'  My  God !  ':  he  cried.  '  Is  it  possible  you  do  not 
understand  !  All  my  work  —  all  my  plans  —  all  my 
scheming  and  plotting  has  been  for  you  —  to  make  you 
happy !  To  give  you  high  place  and  power !  Without 
you,  what  do  I  care  for  the  world?  What  do  I  care 
whether  men  are  rich  or  poor  —  whether  they  starve  or 
die  !  It  is  you  I  want  to  serve  —  you !  It  is  for  your  sake 
I  have  desired  to  win  honour  and  position.  Have  pity  on 
me,  Lotys !  Have  pity !  I  have  seen  you  grow  up  to 
womanhood  —  I  have  loved  every  inch  of  your  stature  — 
every  hair  of  the  gold  on  your  head  —  every  glance  of 
your  eyes  —  every  bright  flash  of  your  intelligent  spirit ! 
Oh,  I  have  loved  you,  and  love  you,  Lotys,  as  no  man 
ever  loved  woman !  Everything  I  have  attempted  — 
everything  I  have  done,  has  been  that  you  might  think  me 
worthier  of  love.  For  the  Country  and  the  People  I  care 
nothing  —  nothing!     I  only  care  for  you!  " 

She  rose,  holding  the  sleeping  child  to  her  like  a  shield. 
Her  features  seemed  to  have  grown  rigid  with  an  in- 
flexible coldness. 


500  "Temporal  Power' 

"  So  then,"  she  said,  "  You  are  no  better  than  the  men 
you  have  blamed!  You  confess  yourself  as  false  to  the 
People  as  the  Minister  you  have  displaced!  You  have 
served  their  Cause,  —  not  because  you  love  them,  but 
simply  because  you  love  Me !  —  and  you  would  force  me 
to  become  your  wife,  not  because  you  love  Me,  so  much 
as  you  love  Yourself!  Self  alone  is  at  the  core  of  your 
social  creed!  Why,  you  are  not  a  whit  higher  than  the 
vulgarest  millionaire  that  ever  stole  a  people's  Trade  to 
further  his  own  ends  !  " 

"  Lotys  !  Lotys  !  "  he  cried,  stung  to  the  quick  ;  "  You 
judge  me  wrongly  —  by  Heaven,  you  do!  " 

"  I  judge  you  only  by  your  own  words  ;  "  she  answered 
steadily ;  "  They  condemn  you  more  than  I  do.  I  thought 
you  were  sincere  in  your  love  for  the  People !  I  thought 
your  work  was  all  for  them,  —  not  for  me !  I  judged  that 
you  sought  to  gain  authority  in  order  to  remedy  their 
many  wrongs,  —  but  if,  after.all,  you  have  been  fighting 
your  way  to  power  merely  to  make  yourself,  as  you 
thought,  more  acceptable  to  me  as  a  husband,  you  have 
deceived  me  in  the  honesty  of  your  intentions  as  grossly 
as  you  have  deceived  the  King!  " 

"  The  King !  "  he  cried  ;    "  The  King !  " 

She  flashed  a  proud  and  passionate  glance  upon  him  — 
and  then  —  he  suddenly  found  himself  alone.  She  had 
left  the  room;  and  though  he  knew  there  was  only  one 
wall,  one  door  between  them,  he  dared  not  follow. 

Glancing  around  him  at  the  simple  furniture  of  the 
chamber  he  stood  in,  which,  though  only  an  attic,  was 
bright  and  fresh  and  sweet,  with  bunches  of  wildflowers 
set  here  and  there  in  simple  and  cheap  crystal  vases,  he 
sighed  heavily.  The  poor  and  '  obscure  '  life  was  perhaps, 
after  all,  the  highest,  holiest  and  best!  All  at  once  his 
eyes  lighted  on  one  large  cluster  of  flowers  that  were 
neither  wild  nor  common,  a  knot  of  rare  roses  and  mag- 
nificent orchids,  tied  together  with  a  golden  ribbon.  He 
looked  at  them  jealously,  and  his  soul  was  assailed  by 
sudden  resentment  and  suspicion.  His  face  changed,  his 
teeth  closed  hard  on  his  under  lip,  and  he  clenched  his 
hand  unconsciously. 

"If  it   is   so if  it   should   be  so!''   he  muttered; 

:  There  may  be  yet  another  and  more  complete  Dav  of 
Fate !  " 


Between  Two  Passions       501 

He  left  the  room  then,  descending  the  stairs  more 
rapidly  than  he  had  climbed  them,  and  as  he  went  out  of 
the  house  and  up  the  street,  he  stumbled  against  Paul 
Zouche. 

'Whither  away,  brave  Deputy?"  cried  this  irrespon- 
sible being ;  '  Whither  away  ?  To  rescue  the  poor  and 
the  afflicted  ?  —  or  to  stop  the  King  from  poaching  on  your 
own  preserves?  " 

With  a  force  of  which  he  was  himself  unconscious,  he 
gripped  Zouche  by  the  arm. 

'  What  do  you  mean  ? "  he  whispered  thickly ;  — 
"  Speak !    What  do  you  know  ?  " 

Zouche  laughed  stupidly. 

"  What  do  I  know  ?  "  he  echoed ;  "  Why,  what  should 
I  know,  blockhead,  save  what  all  who  have  eyes  to  see, 
know  as  well  as  I  do !  Sergius,  your  grasp  is  none  of  the 
lightest ;  let  me  go!  "  Then  as  the  other's  hand  fell  from 
his  arm,  he  continued.  "  It  is  you  who  are  the  blind  man 
leading  the  blind  !  You  —  who  like  all  thick-skulled  re- 
formers, can  never  perceive  what  goes  on  under  your  own 
nose!  But  what  does  it  matter?  What  does  anything 
matter  ?  I  told  you  long  ago  she  would  never  love  you ;  I 
knew  long  ago  that  she  loved  his  Majestv,  '  Pasquin 
Leroy ! '  " 

"  Curse  you !  "  said  Thord  suddenly,  in  such  low  in- 
furiated accents  that  the  oath  sounded  more  like  a  wild 
beast's  snarl.  '  Why  did  you  not  tell  me  ?  Why  did  you 
not  warn  me  ?  " 

Zouche  shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  began  to  sidle 
aimlessly  along  the  roadway. 

'  You  would  not  have  believed  me !  "  he  said ;  "  No- 
body believes  anything  that  is  unpleasant  to  themselves ! 
If  you  had  not  some  suspicion  in  your  own  mind,  you 
would  not  believe  me  now !  I  am  foolish  —  you  are 
wise !  I  am  a  poet  —  you  are  a  reformer !  I  am  drunk 
—  you  are  sober !  And  with  it  all,  Lotys  is  the  only  one 
who  keeps  her  head  clear.  Lotys  was  always  the  creature 
of  common-sense  among  us  ;  she  understood  you  —  she 
understood  me  —  and  better  than  either  of  us  —  she  un- 
derstood the  King !  " 

'  No,  no!  "  whispered  Thord,  more  to  himself  than  his 
companion  ;  "  She  could  not — she  could  not  have  known !" 


502  "Temporal  Power'7 

"  Now  you  look  as  Nature  meant  you  to  look!"  ex- 
claimed Zouche,  staring  wildly  at  him ;  "  Savage  as  a 
bear ;  —  pitiless  as  a  snake !  God  !  What  men  can  be- 
come when  they  are  baulked  of  their  desires !  But  it  is 
no  use,  my  Sergius !  —  you  have  gained  power  in  one 
direction,  but  you  have  lost  it  in  another !  You  cannot 
have  your  cake,  and  eat  it !  "  Here  he  reeled  against  the 
wall,  —  then  straightening  himself  with  a  curious  effort 
at  dignity,  he  continued :  "  Leave  her  alone,  Sergius ! 
Leave  Lotys  in  peace !  She  is  a  good  soul !  Let  her  love 
where  she  will  and  how  she  will,  —  she  has  the  right  to 
choose  her  lover,  —  the  right !  —  by  Heaven  !  —  it  is  a 
right  denied  to  no  woman !  And  if  she  has  chosen 
the  King,  she  is  only  one  of  many  who  have  done  the 
same !  " 

With  a  smothered  sound  between  a  curse  and  a  groan, 
Thord  suddenly  wheeled  round  away  from  him  and  left 
him.  Vaguely  surprised,  yet  too  stupefied  to  realise  that 
his  rambling  words  might  have  worked  serious  mischief, 
Zouche  gazed  blinkingly  on  his  retreating  figure. 

'The  same  old  story!"  he  muttered,  with  a  foolish 
laugh;  "  Always  a  woman  in  it!  He  has  won  leadership 
and  power,  —  he  has  secured  the  friendship  of  a  King,  — 
but  if  the  King  is  his  rival  in  matters  of  love  —  ah !  — 
that  is  a  worse  danger  for  the  Throne  than  the  spread  of 
Socialism !  " 

He  rambled  off  unthinkingly,  and  gave  the  only  part 
of  him  which  remained  still  active,  his  poetic  instinct,  up 
to  the  composition  of  a  delicate  love-song,  which  he  wrote 
between  two  taverns  and  several  drinks. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  —  just  after  sundown  —  a  small 
close  brougham  drove  up  to  the  corner  of  the  street  where 
stood  the  tenement  house,  —  divided  into  several  separate 
flats,  —  in  which  the  attic  where  Lotys  dwelt  was  one  of 
the  most  solitary  and  removed  portions.  The  King 
alighted  from  the  carriage  unobserved,  and  ascended  the 
stairs  on  which  Sergius  Thord's  steps  had  echoed  but  a 
few  hours  gone  by.  Knocking  at  the  door  as  Sergius  had 
done,  he  was  in  the  same  way  bidden  to  enter,  but  as  he 
did  so,  Lotys,  who  was  seated  within,  quite  alone,  started 
up  with  a  faint  cry  of  terror. 

"  You  here !  "  she  exclaimed  in  trembling  accents  ;  "  Oh, 


Between  Two  Passions       503 

why,  why  have  you  come !  Sir,  I  beg  of  you  to  leave  this 
place  !  —  at  once,  before  there  is  any  chance  of  your  being 
seen  ;  your  Majesty  should  surely  know !  " 

'Majesty  me  no  majesties,  Lotys !  "  said  the  King, 
lightly  ;  *'  I  have  been  forbidden  this  little  shrine  too  long! 
Why  should  I  not  come  to  see  you  ?  Are  you  not  known 
as  an  angel  of  comfort  to  the  sorrowful  and  the  lonely? 
—  and  will  you  not  impart  such  consolation  to  me,  as  I 
may,  in  my  many  griefs  deserve?  Nay,  Lotys,  Lotys! 
No  tears !  —  no  tears,  dearest  of  women !  To  see  you 
weep  is  the  only  thing  that  could  possibly  unman  me,  and 
make  even  '  Pasquin  Leroy  '  lose  his  nerve !  ,; 

He  approached  her,  and  sought  to  take  her  hand,  but 
she  turned  away  from  him,  and  he  saw  her  bosom  heave 
with  a  passion  of  repressed  weeping. 

'  Lotys !  ,:  he  then  said,  with  exceeding  gentleness ; 
'  What  is  this  ?  Why  are  you  unhappy  ?  I  have  written 
to  you  every  day  since  that  night  when  your  lips  clung 
to  mine  for  one  glad  moment,  —  I  have  poured  out  my 
soul  to  you  with  more  or  less  eloquence,  and  surely  with 
passion !  —  every  day  I  have  prayed  you  to  receive  me, 
and  yet  you  have  vouchsafed  no  reply  to  one  who  is  by 
your  own  confession  '  the  only  man  you  love  ' !  Ah, 
Lotys !  —  you  will  not  now  deny  that  sweet  betrayal  of 
your  heart !  Do  you  know  that  was  the  happiest  day  of 
my  life?  —  the  day  on  which  I  was  threatened  by  Death, 
and  saved  by  Love !  " 

His  mellow  voice  thrilled  with  its  underlying  tender- 
ness ;  —  he  caught  her  hand  and  kissed  it ;  but  she  was 
silent. 

With  all  the  yearning  passion  which  had  been  pent  up 
in  him  for  many  months,  he  studied  the  pure  outlines  of 
her  brow  and  throat  —  the  falling  sunlight  glow  of  her 
hair  —  the  deep  azure  glory  of  the  pitying  eyes,  half  veiled 
beneath  their  golden  lashes,  and  just  now  sparkling  with 
tears. 

"  All  my  life,"  he  said  softly,  still  holding  her  hand ;  "  I 
have  longed  for  love !  All  my  life  I  have  lacked  it !  Can 
you  imagine,  then,  what  it  was  to  me,  Lotys,  when  I  heard 
you  say  you  loved  my  Resemblance,  —  the  poor  Pasquin 
Leroy  !  —  and  even  so  I  knew  you  loved  me  ?  When  you 
praised  me  as  Pasquin,  and  cursed  me  as  King,  how  my 


504  "Temporal  Power' 

heart  burned  with  desire  to  clasp  you  in  my  arms,  and  tell 
you  all  the  truth  of  my  disguise!  But  to  hear  you  speak 
as  you  did  of  me,  so  unconsciously,  so  tenderly,  so  bravely, 
was  the  sweetest  gladness  I  have  ever  known !  I  felt 
myself  a  king  at  last,  in  very  deed  and  truth !  —  and  it 
was  for  the  love  of  you,  and  because  of  your  love  for  me, 
that  I  determined  to  do  all  I  could  for  my  son  Humphry, 
and  the  woman  of  his  choice !  For,  finding  myself  loved, 
I  swore  that  he  should  not  be  deprived  of  love.  I  have 
done  what  I  could  to  ensure  his  happiness ;  but  after  all, 
it  is  your  doing,  and  the  result  of  your  influence !  You 
are  the  sole  centre  of  my  good  deeds,  Lotys !  —  you  have 
been  my  star  of  destiny  from  the  very  first  day  I  saw  you ! 
—  from  the  moment  when  I  signed  my  bond  with  you  in 
your  own  pure  blood,  I  loved  you !  And  I  know  that  you 
loved  me !  " 

She  turned  her  eyes  slowly  upon  him,  —  what  eyes !  — 
tearless  now,  and  glittering  with  the  burning  fever  of  the 
sad  and  suffering  soul  behind  them. 

'  You  forget !  "  she  said  in  hushed,  trembling  accents ; 
"  You  are  the  King!  " 

He  lifted  her  hand  to  his  lips  again,  and  pressed  its  cool 
small  palm  against  his  brows. 

'  What  then,  my  dearest  ?  Must  the  King,  because  he 
is  King,  go  through  life  unloved?  " 

'  Unless  the  King  is  loved  with  honour,"  said  Lotys  in 
the  same  hushed  voice ;  "  He  must  go  unloved !  " 

He  dropped  her  hand  and  looked  at  her.  She  was  very 
pale  —  her  breath  came  and  went  quickly,  but  her  eyes 
were  fixed  upon  him  steadily,  —  and  though  her  whole 
heart  cried  out  for  his  sympathy  and  tenderness,  she  did 
not  flinch. 

''  Lotys !  "  he  said ;  "  Are  you  so  cold,  so  frozen  in  an 
ice-wall  of  conventionality  that  you  cannot  warm  to  pas- 
sion —  not  even  to  that  passion  which  every  pulse  of  you 
is  ready  to  return  ?  What  do  you  want  of  me  ?  Lover's 
oaths?  Vows  of  constancy?  Oh,  beloved  woman  as  you 
are,  do  you  not  understand  that  you  have  entered  into 
my  very  heart  of  hearts  —  that  you  hold  my  whole  life 
in  your  possession  ?  You  —  not  I  —  are  the  ruling  power 
of  this  country  !  What  you  say,  that  I  will  do !  What  you 
command,  that  will  I  obey !    While  you  live,  I  will  live  — 


Between  Two  Passions       505 

when  you  die,  I  will  die !  Through  you  I  have  learned 
the  value  of  sovereignly,  —  the  good  that  can  be  done  to 
a  country  by  honest  work  in  kingship,  —  through  you  I 
have  won  back  my  disaffected  subjects  to  loyalty;  —  it  is 
all  you  —  only  you!  And  if  you  blamed  me  once  as  a 
worthless  king,  you  shall  never  have  cause  to  so  blame  me 
again  !  But  you  must  help  me,  —  you  must  help  me  with 
your  love!  " 

She  strove  to  control  the  beating  of  her  heart,  as  she 
looked  upon  him  and  listened  to  his  pleading.  She  reso- 
lutely shut  her  soul  to  the  persuasive  music  of  his  voice, 
the  light  of  his  eyes,  the  tenderness  of  his  smile. 

"  What  of  the  Queen  ?  "  she  said. 

He  started  back,  as  though  he  had  been  stung. 

"  The  Queen  !  "  he  repeated,  mechanically  —  "  The 
Queen !  " 

''  Ay,  the  Queen!  "  said  Lotys.  ''  She  is  your  wife  — 
the  mother  of  your  sons !  She  has  never  loved  you,  you 
would  say,  —  you  have  never  loved  her.  But  you  are 
her  husband  !    Would  you  make  me  your  mistress  ?  " 

Her  voice  was  calm.  She  put  the  plain  question  point- 
blank,  without  a  note  of  hesitation.  His  face  paled 
suddenly. 

'  Lotys !  "  he  said,  and  stretched  out  his  hands  towards 
her ;  "  Lotys,  I  love  you !  " 

A  change  passed  over  her,  —  rapid  and  transfiguring 
as  a  sudden  radiance  from  heaven.  With  an  impulsive 
gesture,  beautiful  in  its  wild  abandonment,  she  cast  her- 
self at  his  feet. 

"  And  I  love  you !  "  she  said.  '  I  love  you  with  every 
breath  of  my  body,  every  pulse  of  my  heart !  I  love  you 
with  the  entire  passion  of  my  life!  I  love  you  with  all 
the  love  pent  up  in  my  poor  starved  soul  since  childhood 
until  now !  —  I  love  you  more  than  woman  ever  loved  * 
either  lover  or  husband!  I  love  you,  my  lord  and  King! 
—  but  even  as  I  love  you,  I  honour  you  |  No  selfish 
thought  of  mine  shall  ever  tarnish  the  smallest  jewel  in 
your  Crown!  Oh,  my  beloved!  My  Royal  soul  of  cour- 
age! What  do  you  take  me  for?  Should  I  be  worthy 
of  your  thought  if  I  dragged  you  down?  Should  I  be 
Lotys,  —  if,  like  some  light  woman  who  can  be  bought 
for  a  few  jewels,  —  I  gave  myself  to  you  in  that  fever 


5°6 


" Temporal  Power' 


of  desire  which  men  mistake  for  love  ?  Ah,  no !  —  ten 
thousand  times  no !  I  love  you  !  Look  at  me,  —  can  you 
not  see  how  my  soul  cries  out  for  you  ?  How  my  lips 
hunger  for  your  kisses  —  how  I  long,  ah,  God !  for  all 
the  tenderness  which  I  know  is  in  your  heart  for  me,  — 
I,  so  lonely,  weary,  and  robbed  of  all  the  dearest  joys  of 
life!  — but  I  will  not  shame  you  by  my  love,  my  best 
and  dearest !  I  will  not  set  you  one  degree  lower  in  the 
thoughts  of  the  People,  who  now  idolise  you  and  know 
you  as  the  brave,  true  man  you  arei  My  love  for  you 
would  be  poor  indeed,  if  I  could  not  sacrifice  myself  alto- 
gether for  your  sake,  —  you,  who  are  my  King !  " 

He  heard  her,  —  his  whole  soul  was  shaken  by  the 
passion  of  her  words. 

'  Lotys  !  "   he   said,  —  and  again  —  "  Lotys  !  " 

He  drew  her  up  from  her  kneeling  attitude,  and  gather- 
ing her  close  in  his  arms,  kissed  her  tenderly,  reverently 
■ —  as  a  man  might  kiss  the  lips  of  the  dead. 

'Must   it  be  so,   Lotys?"   he  whispered;   "Must  we 
dwell  always  apart  ?  " 

Her  eyes,  beautiful  with  a  passion  of  the  highest  and 
holiest  love,  looked  full  into  his. 

"  Always  apart,  yet  always  together,  my  beloved !  " 
she  answered;  "Together  in  thought,  in  soul,  in  aspi- 
ration !  —  in  the  hope  and  confidence  that  God  sees  us,  and 
knows  that  we  seek  to  live  purely  in  His  sight !  Oh,  my 
King,  you  would  not  have  it  otherwise !  You  would  not 
have  our  love  defiled !  How  common  and  easy  it  would 
be  for  me  to  give  myself  to  you !  —  as  other  women  are 
only  too  ready  to  give  themselves,  —  to  take  your  tender- 
ness, your  care,  your  admiration,  —  to  demand  your  con- 
stant attendance  on  my  lightest  humour !  —  to  bring  you 
shame  by  my  persistent  companionship !  —  to  cause  an 
'open  slander,  and  allow  the  finger'  of  scorn  to  be  pointed 
at  you  !  —  to  see  your  honour  made  a  mockery  of,  by  base , 
persons  who  would  judge  you  as  one,  who,  notwithstand- ' 
ing  his  brave  espousal  of  the  People's  Cause,  was  yet  a 
slave  to  the  caprice  of  a  woman !  Think  something  more 
of  me  than  this !  Do  not  put  me  on  the  level  of  such 
women  as  once  brought  your  name  into  contempt !    They 

did  not  love  you !  —  they  loved  themselves  !     But  I 

I  love  you !     Oh,  my  dearest  lord,  if  self  were  concerned 


Between  Two  Passions       507 

at  all  in  this  great  love  of  my  heart,  I  would  not  suffer 
your  arms  to  rest  about  me  now !  —  I  would  not  let  your 
lips  touch  mine!  —  but  it  is  for  the  last  time,  beloved!  — 
the  last  time !  And  so  I  put  my  hands  here  on  your 
heart  —  I  kiss  your  lips  —  I  say  with  all  my  soul  in  the 
prayer  —  God  bless  you  !  —  God  keep  you  !  —  God  save 
you,  my  King!  Though  I  shall  live  apart  from  you 
all  my  days,  my  spirit  is  one  with  yours !  God  will 
know  that  truth  when  we  meet  —  on  the  other  side  of 
Death !  " 

Her  tears  fell  fast,  and  he  bent  over  her,  torn  by  a 
tempest  of  conflicting  emotions,  and  kissing  the  soft  hair 
that  lay  loosely  ruffled  against  his  breast. 

"  Then  it  shall  be  so,  Lotys !  "  he  murmured,  at  last. 
'  Your  wish  is  my  law !  —  it  shall  be  as  you  command ! 
I  will  fulfil  such  duties  as  I  must  in  this  world,  —  and  the 
knowledge  of  your  love  for  me,  —  your  trust  in  me,  - — 
shall  keep  me  high  in  the  People's  honour !  Old  follies 
shall  be  swept  away  —  old  sins  atoned  for  ;  —  and  when 
we  "meet,  as  you  say,  on  the  other  side  of  Death,  God 
will  perchance  give  us  all  that  we  have  longed  for  in  this 
world  —  all  that  we  have  lost !  " 

His  voice  shook,  —  he  could  not  further  rely  on  his 
self-control. 

"  I  will  not  tempt  you,  Lotys !  ':  he  whispered  —  "I 
dare  not  tempt  myself  !     God  bless  you  !  " 

He  put  her  gently  from  him,  and  stood  for  a  moment 
irresolute.  All  the  hope  he  had  indulged  in  of  a  sweeter 
joy  than  any  he  had  ever  known,  was  lost,  —  and  yet  — 
he  knew  he  had  no  right  to  press  upon  her  a  love  which, 
to  her,  could  only  mean  dishonour. 

"  Good-bye,  Lotys !  "  he  said,  huskily ;  "  My  one  love 
in  this  world  and  the  next !     Good-bye !  " 

She  gazed  at  him  with  her  whole  soul  in  her  eyes,  — 
then  suddenly,  and  with  the  tenderest  grace  in  the  world, 
dropped  on  her  knees  and  kissed  his  hand. 

"  God  save  your  Majesty!  "  she  said,  with  a  poor  little 
effort  at  smiling  through  her  tears  ;  "  For  many  and  many 
a  long  and  happy  year,  when  Lotys  is  no  more !  " 

With  a  half  cry  he  snatched  her  up  in  his  arms  and 
pressed  her  to  his  heart,  showering  kisses  on  her  lips, 
her  eyes,  her  hair,  her  little  hands !  —  then,  with  a  move- 


508  "Temporal  Power" 

ment  as  abrupt  as  it  was  passion-stricken,  put  her  quickly 
from  him  and  left  her. 

She  listened  with  straining  ears  to  the  quick  firm  echo 
of  his  footsteps  departing  from  her,  and  echoing  down 
the  stairs.  She  caught  the  ring  of  his  tread  on  the  pave- 
ment outside.  She  heard  the  grinding  roll  of  the  wheels 
of  his  carriage  as  he  was  rapidly  driven  away.  He  had 
gone!  As  she  realised  this,  her  courage  suddenly  failed 
her,  and  sinking  down  beside  the  chair  in  which  he  had 
for  a  moment  sat,  she  laid  her  head  upon  it,  and  wept 
long  and  bitterly.  Her  conscience  told  her  that  she  had 
done  well,  but  her  heart  —  the  starving  woman's  heart, 

—  was  all  unsatisfied,  and  clamoured  for  its  dearest  right 

—  love !  And  she  had  of  her  own  will,  her  own  choice, 
put  love  aside,  —  the  most  precious,  the  most  desired  love 
in  the  world !  —  she  had  sent  it  away  out  of  her  life  for 
ever!     True,  she  could  call  it  back,  if  she  chose  with  a 

word but  she  knew  that  for  the  sake  of  a  king,  and  a 

country's  honour,  she  would  not  so  call  it  back !  She 
might  have  said  with  one  of  the  most  human  of  poets : 

"  Will  someone  say,  then  why  not  ill  for  good  ? 
Why  took  ye  not  your  pastime  ?     To  that  man 
My  word  shall  answer,  since  I  knew  the  Right 
And  did  it."1 

A  shadowy  form  moving  uncertainly  to  and  fro  near 
the  corner  of  the  street,  appeared  to  spring  forward  and 
to  falter  back  again,  as  the  King,  hurriedly  departing, 
glanced  up  and  down  the  street  once  or  twice  as  though 
in  doubt  or  questioning,  and  then  walked  to  his  brougham. 
The  soft  hues  of  a  twilight  sky,  in  which  the  stars  were 
beginning  to  appear,  fell  on  his  face  and  showed  it  ashy 
pale ;  but  he  was  absorbed  in  his  own  sad  and  bitter 
thoughts,  —  lost  in  his  own  inward  contemplation  of  the 
love  which  consumed  him,  —  and  he  saw  nothing  of  that 
hidden  watcher  in  the  semi-gloom,  gazing  at  him  with 
such  fierce  eyes  of  hate  as  might  have  intimidated  even 
the  bravest  man.  He  entered  his  carriage  and  was  rapidly 
driven  away,  and  the  shadow,  —  no  other  than  Sergius 
Thord,  —  stumbling  forward,  —  his  brain  on  fire,  and  a 

1  Tennyson 


Between  Two  Passions       509 

loaded  pistol  in  his  hand,  —  had  hardly  realised  his  pres- 
ence before  he  was  gone. 

'Why  did  1  not  kill  him?"  he  muttered,  amazed  at 
his  own  hesitation;  "  lie  stood  here,  close  to  me!  It 
would  have  been  so  easy !  " 

He  remained  another  moment  or  two  gazing  around 
him  at  the  streets,  at  the  roofs,  at  the  sky,  as  though  in 
a  wondering  dream,  —  then  all  at  once,  it  seemed  as  if 
every  cell  in  his  brain  had  suddenly  become  superhumanly 
active.  His  eyes  flashed  fury,  —  and  turning  swiftly 
into  the  house  which  the  King  had  just  left,  he  ran  madly 
up  the  stairs  as  though  impelled  by  a  whirlwind,  and  burst 
without  bidding,  straight  into  the  room  where  Lotys  still 
knelt,  weeping.  At  the  noise  of  his  entrance  she  started 
up,  the  tears  wet  on  her  face. 

"  Sergius  !  "  she  cried. 

He  looked  at  her,  breathing  heavily. 
'  Yes,  —  Sergius  !  "  he  said,  his  voice  sounding  thick 
and  husky,  and  unlike  itself.  "  I  am  Sergius !  Or  I  was 
Sergius,  before  you  made  of  me  a  nameless  devil !  And 
you  —  you  are  Lotys !  —  you  are  weeping  for  the  lover 
who  has  just  parted  from  you!  You  are  Lotys  —  the 
mistress  of  the  King !  " 

She  made  him  no  answer.  Drawing  herself  up  to  her 
full  height,  she  flashed  upon  him  a  look  of  utter  scorn, 
and  maintained  a  contemptuous  silence. 

'  Mistress  of  the  King !  "  he  repeated,  speaking  in  hard 
gasps  ;  "  You,  —  Lotys,  —  have  come  to  this  !  You,  — 
the  spotless  Angel  of  our  Cause !  You  !  —  why,  —  I 
sicken  at  the  sight  of  you !  Oh,  you  fulfil  thoroughly  the 
mission  of  your  sex !  —  which  is  to  dupe  and  betray  men  ! 
You  were  the  traitor  all  along !  You  knew  the  real  iden- 
tity of  '  Pasquin  Leroy  '  !  He  was  your  lover  from  the 
first,  —  and  to  him  you  handed  the  secrets  of  the  Com- 
mittee, and  played  Us  into  his  hands !     It  was  well  done 

—  cleverly  done !  —  woman's  work  in  all  its  best  cunning ! 

—  but  treachery  does  not  always  pay !  " 

Amazed  and  indignant,  she  boldly  confronted  him. 

'  You  must  be  mad,  Sergius !  What  do  you  mean  ? 
What  sudden  accusations  are  these?  You  know  they 
are  false  —  why  do  you  utter  them  ?  " 

He  sprang  towards  her,  and  seized  her  roughly  by 
the  arm. 


510  "Temporal  Power' 

"  How  do  I  know  they  are  false  ?  "  he  said.  '  Prove 
to  me  they  are  false!  Who  saved  the  King's  life?  You! 
And  why  ?  Because  you  knew  he  was  '  Pasquin  Leroy  '  ! 
How  was  it  he  gained  such  swift  ascendancy  over  all  our 
Committee,  and  led  the  work  and  swayed  the  men,  —  and 
made  of  me  his  tool  and  servant  ?  Through  you  again ! 
And  why?  Because  you  knew  he  was  the  King!  Why 
have  you  scorned  me  —  turned  from  me  —  thrust  me 
from  your  side  —  denied  my  love,  —  though  I  have  loved 
and  cared  for  you  from  childhood !  Why,  I  say  ?  Be- 
cause you  love  the  King !  " 

She  stood  perfectly  still,  —  unmoved  by  his  frantic 
manner  —  by  the  glare  of  his  bloodshot  eyes,  and  his 
irrepressible  agony  of  rage  and  jealousy.  Quietly  she 
glanced  him  up  and  down. 

'  You  are  right !  "  she  said  tranquilly ;  "  I  do  love  the 
King!  " 

A  horrible  oath  broke  from  his  lips,  and  for  a  moment 
his  face  grew  crimson  with  the  rising  blood  that  threat- 
ened to  choke  the  channels  of  his  brain.  An  anxious  pity 
softened  her  face. 

"  Sergius !  "  she  said  gently,  "  You  are  not  yourself  — 
you  rave  —  you  do  not  know  what  you  say !  What  has 
maddened  you?  What  have  I  done?  You  know  my  life 
is  free  —  I  have  a  right  to  do  with  it  as  I  will,  and  even 
as  my  life  is  free,  so  is  my  love !  I  cannot  love  where 
I  am  bidden  —  I  must  love  where  Love  itself  calls !  " 

He  stood  still,  staring  at  her.  He  seemed  to  have  lost 
the  power  of  speech. 

'  You  have  insulted  me  almost  beyond  pardon !  "  she 
went  on.  '  Your  accusations  are  all  lies !  I  love  the 
King,  —  but  I  am  not  the  King's  mistress!  I  would  no 
more  be  his  mistress  than  I  would  be  your  wife !  " 

Slowly,  slowly,  his  hand  got  at  something  in  his  pocket 
and  clutched  it  almost  unconsciouslv.  Slowly,  slowly,  he 
raised  that  hand,  still  clutching  that  something, -- nnd 
his  lips  parted  in  a  breathless  way,  showing  the  wolfish 
glimmer  of  white  teeth  within. 

'  You love the  King !  "  he  said  in  deliberate 

accents.     "  And  you  dare you  dare  to  tell  me  so  ?  " 

She  raised  her  golden  head  with  a  beautiful  defiance 
and  courage. 


Between  Two  Passions       511 

'  I  love  the  King !  "  she  said  —  "  And  I  dare  to  tell  you 
so!  " 

With  a  lightning  quickness  of  movement  the  hand  that 
had  been  groping  after  an  unseen  evil  now  came  out  into 
the  light,  with  a  sudden  sharp  crash,  and  flame  of  fire ! 

A  faint  cry  tore  the  air. 

"  Ah  -  -  Sergius  !  —  Sergius  !     Oh  —  God  !  " 

And   Lotys   staggered   back stunned,   deafened  - 

sick,  dizzy 

'  Death,  death  !  "  she  thought,  wildly  ;  "  This  is  death  !  " 

And,  with  a  last  desperate  rallying  of  her  sinking  force, 
as  every  memory  of  her  life  swept  over  her  brain  in 
that  supreme  moment,  she  sprang  at  her  murderer  and 
wrenched  the  weapon  from  his  hand,  clutching  it  hard 
and  fast  in  her  own. 

'  Say say    I    did    it  —  myself  —  !  "    she    gasped, 

in  short  quick  sobs  of  pain;  "Tell  the  King-- I  did  it 
myself  —  myself !  Sergius  —  save  your  own  life !  —  I 
forgive!  " 

She  reeled,  and  with  a  choking  cry  fell  back  heavily  — 
dead !  Her  hair  came  unbound  with  her  fall,  and  shook 
itself  round  her  in  a  gold  wave,  as  though  to  hide  the  hor- 
ror of  the  oozing  blood  that  trickled  from  her  lips  and 
breast. 

With  a  horrid  sense  of  unreality  Thord  stared  upon 
the  evil  he  had  done.  He  gazed  stupidly  around  him.  He 
listened  for  someone  to  come  and  explain  to  him  what 
had  happened.  But  up  in  that  remote  attic,  there  was 
no  one  to  hear  either  a  pistol-shot  or  a  cry.  There  was 
only  one  thing  to  be  understood  and  learnt  by  heart,  — 
that  Lotys,  once  living,  was  now  dead !  Dead !  How 
came  she  dead?  That  was  what  he  could  not  determine. 
The  heat  of  his  wild  fury  had  passed,  —  leaving  him  cold 
and  passive  as  a  stone. 

"  Lotys !  " 

He  whispered  the  name.  Horrible !  How  she  looked, 
—  with  all  that  blood  !  —  all  that  golden  hair ! 

'  Tell  the  King  I  did  it  myself !  '  Yes  —  the  King 
would  have  to  be  told  —  something !  Stooping,  he  tried 
to  detach  the  pistol  from  the  lifeless  hand,  but  the  fingers, 
though  still  warm  were  tightened  on  the  weapon,  and  he 
dared  not  unclasp  them.     He  was  afraid !     He  stood  up 


^12  "Temporal  Power' 

again,  and  looked  around  him.  His  glance  fell  on  the 
knot  of  regal  flowers  he  had  noticed  in  the  morning,  — 
the  great  roses,  —  the  voluptuous  orchids  —  tied  with 
their  golden  ribbon.  He  took  them  hastily  and  flung  them 
down  beside  her,  —  then  watched  a  little  trickling  stream 
of  blood  running,  running  towards  one  of  the  whitest 
and  purest  of  the  roses.  It  reached  it,  stained  it,  —  and 
presently  drowned  it  in  a  little  pool.  Horrified,  he  cov- 
ered his  eyes,  and  staggered  backward  against  the  door. 
The  evening  was  growing  dark,  —  through  the  small 
high  window  he  could  see  the  stars  beginning  to  shine 
as  usual.  As  usual,  —  though  Lotys  was  dead !  That 
seemed  strange !  Putting  one  hand  behind  him,  he  cau- 
tiously opened  the  door,  still  keeping  his  guarded  gaze 
on  that  huddled  heap  of  clothes,  and  blood,  and  glittering 
hair  which  had  been  Lotys. 

'  I  must  get  home,"  he  muttered.      '  I  have  business  to 

attend  to as   Deputy  to  the  city,  there  is  much  to 

do much  to  do  for  the  People !     The  People !     My 

God!    And  Lotys  dead !  " 

A  kind  of  hysteric  laughter  threatened  him.  He 
pressed  his  mouth  hard  with  his  hand  to  choke  back  this 
strange,  struggling  passion. 

"  Lotys  !  Lotys  is  dead !  There  she  lies  !  Someone, 
I  know  not  who,  killed  her !  No,  —  no !  She  has  killed 
herself,  —  she  said  so !  There  she  lies,  poor  Lotys  !  She 
will  never  speak  to  the  People  —  never  comfort  them, — 
never  teach  them  any  more  —  never  hold  little  motherless 
infants  in  her  arms  and  console  them,  —  never  smile  on 
the  sorrowful,  or  cheer  the  sick  —  never !  '  I  love  the 
King  i  '  she  said,  —  and  she  died  for  saying  it !  One 
should  jot  love  kings!  '  Tell  the  King  I  did  it  myself! ' 
Yes,  Lotys  !  —  lie  still  —  be  at  peace  —  the  King  shall 
know soon  enough  !  " 

Still  muttering  uneasily  to  himself,  he  went  out,  al- 
ways moving  backwards  —  and  with  a  last  look  at  that 
fallen  breathless  form  of  murdered  woman,  shut  the  door 
stealthily  behind  him. 

Then,  stumbling  giddily  down  the  stairs,  he  wandered, 
blind  and  half  crazed,  into  the  darkening  night 


CHAPTER    XXXIII 

SAILING  TO  THE  INFINITE 

GREAT  calamities  always  come  suddenly.  With  the 
swiftness  of  lightning  they  descend  upon  the  world, 
often  in  the  very  midst  of  fancied  peace  and  security,  — 
and  the  farcical,  grinning,  sneering  apes  of  humanity,  for 
whom  even  the  idea  of  a  God  has  but  furnished  food  for 
lewd  jesting,  are  scattered  into  terror-stricken  hordes, 
who  are  forced  to  realise  for  the  first  time  in  their  lives, 
that  whether  they  believe  in  Omnipotence  or  no,  an  evi- 
dent Law  of  Justice  exists,  which  may  not  be  outraged 
with  impunity.  Sometimes  this  Law  works  strangely,  — 
one  might  almost  say  obliquely.  It  sweeps  away  persons 
whom  we  have  judged  as  useful  to  the  community,  and 
allows  those  to  remain  whom  we  consider  unnecessary. 
But  'we,'  —  all  important  'we,'  —  are  not  allowed  to 
long  assert  or  maintain  our  petty  opinions  against  this 
unknown  undetermined  Force  which  makes  havoc  of  all 
our  best  and  most  carefully  conceived  arrangements. 
For  example,  we  are  not  given  any  practical  reason  why 
Christ,  —  the  Divine  Man,  —  was  taken  from  the  world 
in  His  youthful  manhood,  instead  of  being  permitted 
to  live  to  a  great  age  for  the  further  benefit,  teaching, 
and  sanctification  of  His  disciples  and  followers.  Pure, 
sinless,  noble,  and  truly  of  God,  He  was  tortured  and 
crucified  as  though  He  were  the  worst  of  criminals.  And 
apart  from  the  Church's  explanation  of  this  great  Mys- 
tery, we  may  take  it  as  a  lesson  that  misfortune  is  like 
everything  else,  two-sided ;  —  it  falls  equally  upon  the 
ungodly  and  the  godly,  —  with  merely  this  difference  — 
that  when  it  falls  on  the  ungodly  it  is,  as  we  are  reluc- 
tantly forced  to  admit,  *  the  act  of  God  '  —  but  when  it 
falls  on  the  godly,  it  is  generally  the  proved  and  evident 
work  of  Man. 

33 


514  "Temporal  Power' 

In  this  last  way,  and  for  no  fault  at  all  of  her  own, 
had  cruel  death  befallen  Lotys.  Such  as  her  career  had 
been,  it  was  unmarked  by  so  much  as  a  shadow  of  selfish- 
ness or  wickedness.  From  the  first  day  of  her  life,  sorrow 
had  elected  her  for  its  own.  She  had  never  known  father 
or  mother;  —  cast  out  as  an  infant  in  the  street,  and 
picked  up  by  Sergius  Thord,  she  had  secured  no  other 
protector  for  her  infancy  and  youth,  than  the  brooding, 
introspective  man,  who  was  destined  in  the  end  to  be  her 
murderer.  As  a  child,  she  had  been  passionately  grate- 
ful to  him ;  she  had  learned  all  she  could  from  the  books 
he  gave  her  to  study,  and  with  a  quick  brain,  and  a  keen 
sense  of  observation,  she  had  become  a  proficient  in  liter- 
ature, so  much  so  indeed,  that  more  than  one  half  the 
Revolutionary  treatises  and  other  propaganda  which  he 
had  sent  out  to  different  quarters  of  the  globe,  were  from 
her  pen.  Her  one  idea  had  been  to  please  and  to  serve 
him,  —  to  show  her  gratitude  for  his  care  of  her,  and  to 
prove  herself  useful  to  him  in  all  his  aims.  As  she  grew 
up,  however,  she  quickly  discerned  that  his  affection  for 
her  was  deepening  into  the  passion  of  a  lover ;  whereupon 
she  had  at  once  withdrawn  from  his  personal  charge, 
and  had  made  up  her  mind  to  live  alone  and  indepen- 
dently. She  desired,  so  she  told  him,  to  subsist  on  her 
own  earnings,  —  and  he  who  could  do  nothing  success- 
fully without  her,  was  only  too  glad  to  give  her  the  right- 
ful share  of  such  financial  results  as  accrued  from  the 
various  workings  of  the  Revolutionary  Committee,  — 
results  which  were  sometimes  considerable,  though  never 
opulent.  And  so  she  had  worked  on,  finding  her  best  hap- 
piness in  succouring  the  poor,  and  nursing  the  sick.  Her 
girlhood  had  passed  without  either  joy  or  love, —  her 
womanhood  had  been  bare  of  all  the  happiness  that  should 
have  graced  it.  The  people  had  learned  to  love  her, 
it  is  true,  ■ —  but  this  more  or  less  distantly  felt  affection 
was  far  from  being  the  intimate  and  near  love  for  which 
she  had  so  often  longed.  When  at  last  this  love  had  come 
to  her,  —  when  in  '  Pasquin  Leroy '  she  thought  she 
had  found  the  true  companion  of  her  life  and  heart,  — 
when  he  had  constantly  accompanied  her  by  his  own 
choice,  on  her  errands  of  mercy  among  the  poor  ;  and  had 
aided  the  sick  and  the  distressed  by  his  own  sympathy 


Sailing  to  the  Infinite         515 

and  tenderness,  she  had  almost  allowed  herself  to  dream 
of  possible  happiness.  This  dream  had  been  encouraged 
more  than  ever,  after  she  had  saved  the  King  from  assassi- 
nation. '  Pasquin  Leroy  '  had  then  become  her  closest 
comrade,  —  always  at  hand,  and  ever  ready  to  fulfil  her 
slightest  behest ;  —  while  from  his  ardent  and  eloquent 
glances,  —  the  occasional  lingering  pressure  of  his  hand, 
and  the  hastily  murmured  words  of  tenderness  which 
she  could  not  misunderstand,  she  knew  that  he  loved  her. 
But  when  he  had  disclosed  his  real  identity  to  be  that  of 
the  King  himself,  all  her  fair  hopes  had  vanished !  —  and 
her  spirit  had  shrunk  and  fallen  under  the  blow.  Worse 
than  all,  —  when  she  learned  that  this  great  and  exalted 
Personage,  despite  his  throned  dignity,  did  still  continue 
to  entertain  a  passion  for  herself,  the  knowledge  was  al- 
most crushing  in  its  effect  upon  her  mind.  Pure  in  soul 
and  body,  she  would  have  chosen  death  any  time  rather 
than  dishonour ;  and  in  the  recent  developments  of  events 
she  had  sometimes  grown  to  consider  death  as  good,  and 
even  desirable.  Now  death  had  come  to  her  through  the 
very  hand  that  had  first  aided  her  to  live !  And  so  had 
she  fulfilled  the  common  lot  of  women,  which  is,  taken 
in  the  aggregate,  to  be  wronged  and  slain  (morally,  when 
not  physically)  by  the  very  men  they  have  most  unsel- 
fishly sought  to  serve ! 

The  heavy  night  passed  away,  and  all  through  its  slow 
hours  the  murdered  creature  lay  weltering  in  her  blood, 
and  shrouded  in  her  hair,  —  looked  at  by  the  pitiless 
stars  and  the  cold  moon,  as  they  shed  their  beams  in  turn 
through  the  high  attic  window.  Morning  broke ;  and 
the  sun  shot  its  first  rays  down  upon  the  dead,  —  upon  the 
fixed  white  countenance,  and  on  the  little  hand  grown 
icy  cold,  but  clenched  with  iron  grip  upon  the  pistol 
which  had  been  so  bravely  snatched  in  that  last  moment 
of  life  with  the  unselfish  thought  of  averting  suspicion 
from  the  true  murderer.  With  the  full  break  of  day,  the 
mistress  of  the  house  going  to  arouse  her  lodgers,  came 
up  the  stairs  with  a  bright  face,  cheerfully  singing,  for 
her  usual  morning  chat  with  Lotys  was  one  of  her  prin- 
cipal pleasures.  Knocking  at  the  door,  and  receiving  no 
answer,  she  turned  the  handle  and  pushed  it  open,  — 
then,  with  a  piercing  scream  of  horror,  she  rushed  away, 


516  "Temporal  Power' 

calling  wildly  for  help,  and  sending  frantic  cries  down 
the  street. 

"  Lotys !    Lotys !    Lotys  is  dead !  " 

The  news  flew.  The  houses  poured  out  their  poverty- 
stricken  occupants  from  garret  to  basement ;  and  pres- 
ently the  street  was  blocked  with  a  stupefied,  grief-stricken 
crowd.  A  doctor  who  had  been  hastily  summoned,  lifted 
the  poor  corpse  of  her  whose  life  had  been  all  love  and 
pity,  and  laid  it  upon  the  simple  truckle-bed,  where  the 
living  Lotys  had  slept,  contented  with  poverty  for  many 
years ;  and  after  close  and  careful  examination  pro- 
nounced it  to  be  a  case  of  suicide.  The  word  created  con- 
sternation among  all  the  people. 

"Suicide!"  they  murmured  uneasily;  'Why  should 
she  kill  herself?    We  all  loved  her !  " 

Ay !  They  all  loved  her !  —  and  only  now  when  she 
was  gone  did  they  realise  how  great  that  love  had  been, 
or  how  much  her  thought  and  tenderness  for  them  all,  had 
been  interwoven  with  their  lives !  They  had  never  stopped 
to  think  of  the  weariness  and  emptiness  of  her  own  life, 
or  of  the  longing  she  herself  might  have  had  for  the  love 
and  care  she  so  freely  gave  to  others.  By  and  by,  as  the 
terrible  news  was  borne  in  upon  them  more  convincingly, 
some  began  to  weep  and  wail,  others  to  kneel  and  pray, 
others  to  recall  little  kindnesses,  thoughtful  deeds,  unsel- 
fish tendernesses,  and  patient  endurances  of  the  dead 
woman  who,  friendless  herself,  had  been  their  truest 
friend. 

"  Who  will  tell  Sergius  Thord  ?  "  asked  a  man  in  the 
crowd ;  "  Who  will  break  the  news  to  him  ?  " 

There  was  an  awe-stricken  silence.  No  one  volunteered 
such  heart-rending  service. 

"  Who  will  tell  the  King?  "  suddenly  exclaimed  a  harsh 
voice,  that  of  Paul  Zouche,  who  in  his  habit  of  hardly  ever 
going  to  bed,  had  seen  the  crowd  gather,  and  had  quickly 
joined  it.    "  Lotys  saved  his  life !    He  should  be  told !  " 

His  face,  always  remarkable  in  its  thin,  eager,  intel- 
lectual aspect,  looked  ghastly,  and  his  eyes  no  longer 
feverish  in  their  brilliancy,  were  humanised  by  the  dew 
of  tears. 

"  The  King !  " 

The  weeping  people  looked  at  one  another.    The  King 


Sailing  to  the  Infinite        517 

had  now  become  a  part  of  their  life  and  interest,  --he  was 
one  with  them,  not  apart  from  them  as  once  he  had  been ; 
therefore  he  must  have  known  how  Lotys  had  loved  them. 
Yes,  —  someone  should  surely  tell  the  King ! 

'  The  King  must  be  informed  of  this,"  went  on  Zouche  ; 
'  If  there  is  no  one  else  to  take  the  news  to  him,  —  I 
will !  " 

And  before  any  answer  could  be  given,  or  any  sugges- 
tion made,  he  was  gone. 

Meanwhile,  no  person  volunteered  to  fetch  Sergius 
Thord.  Every  man  who  knew  him,  dreaded  the  task  of 
telling  him  that  Lotys  was  dead,  self-slain.  Some  poor, 
but  tender-hearted  women  sorrowfully  prepared  the  corpse 
for  burial,  removing  the  bloodstained  clothes  with  gentle 
hands,  smoothing  out  and  parting  on  either  side  the  glori- 
ous waves  of  hair,  while  with  the  greatest  care  and  diffi- 
culty they  succeeded  by  slow  degrees  in  removing  the 
pistol  so  tightly  clenched  in  the  dead  hand.  While  en- 
gaged in  this  sad  duty,  they  found  a  sealed  paper  marked 
'  My  Last  Wish,'  and  this  they  put  aside  till  Thord  should 
come.  Then  they  robed  her  in  white,  and  laid  white 
flowers  upon  her  breast ;  and  so  came  in  turns  by  groups 
of  tens  and  twenties  to  kneel  beside  her  and  kiss  her  hands 
and  say  prayers,  and  weep  for  the  loss  of  one  who  had 
never  uttered  a  harsh  word  to  any  poor  or  sorrowful 
person,  but  whose  mission  had  been  peace  and  healing, 
love  and  resignation,  and  submission  to  her  own  hard  fate 
until  the  end ! 

Meantime  Zouche,  who  had  never  been  near  any  Royal 
precincts  before,  walked  boldly  to  the  Palace.  All  irreso- 
lution had  left  him  ;  —  his  step  was  firm,  his  manner  self- 
contained,  and  only  his  eyes  betrayed  the  deep  and  bitter 
sorrow  of  his  soul.  He  was  allowed  to  pass  the  sentinel 
at  the  outer  gates,  but  at  the  inner  portico  of  the  Palace  he 
was  denied  admittance.  He  maintained  his  composure, 
however,  and  handed  in  his  written  name. 

'  If  I  cannot  see  the  King,  I  must  see  Sir  Roger  de 
Launay !  "  he  said. 

At  this  the  men  in  authority  glanced  at  one  another, 
and  began  to  unbend  ;  —  if  this  shabby,  untidy  being  knew 
Sir  Roger  de  Launay,  he  was  perhaps  someone  of  impor- 
tance.    After  a  brief  consultation  together,   they  asked 


5  i  8         "Temporal  Power" 

him  to  wait  while  a  messenger  was  despatched  to  Sir 
Roger. 

Zouche,  with  a  curious  air  of  passive  toleration  sat 
quietly  on  the  chair  they  offered,  and  waited  several  min- 
utes glancing  meanwhile  at  the  display  of  splendour  and 
luxury  about  him  with  an  indifference  bordering  on 
contempt. 

"  All  this  magnificence,"  he  mused ;  "  all  this  wealth 
cannot  purchase  back  a  life,  or  bring  comfort  to  a  stricken 
heart !  Nor  can  it  vie  with  a  poet's  rhyme,  which,  often 
unvalued,  and  always  unpaid  for,  sometimes  outlasts  a 
thousand  thrones !  " 

Here,  seeing  the  tall  figure  of  Sir  Roger  de  Launay 
coming  between  him  and  the  light,  he  rose  and  advanced 
a  step  or  two. 

'  Why,  Zouche,"  said  Sir  Roger  kindly,  greeting  him 
with  a  smile ;  '  You  are  up  betimes !  They  tell  me  you 
want  to  see  the  King.  Is  it  not  a  somewhat  early  call  ? 
His  Majesty  has  only  just  left  his  sleeping-apartment,  and 
is  busy  writing  urgent  letters.  Will  you  entrust  me  with 
your  message  ?  " 

Paul  Zouche  looked  at  him  fixedly. 

'  My  message  is  from  Lotys !  "  he  said  deliberately ; 
"  And  it  must  be  delivered  to  the  King  in  person !  ': 

Vaguely  alarmed,  Sir  Roger  recoiled  a  step. 

"  You  bring  ill  news  ?  "  he  whispered. 

'  I  do  not  know  whether  it  will  prove  ill  or  well ;  " 
answered  Zouche  wearily ;  "  But  such  news  as  I  have, 
must  be  told  to  his  Majesty  alone." 

Sir  Roger  paused  a  moment,  hesitating ;  then  he  said  : 

"  If  that  is  so  —  if  that  must  be  so,  —  then  come  with 
me!" 

He  led  the  way,  and  Zouche  followed.  Entering  the 
King's  private  library  where  the  King  himself  sat  at  his 
writing-desk,  Sir  Roger  announced  the  unexpected  vis- 
itor, adding  in  a  low  tone  that  he  came  '  from  Lotys ! ' 

The  King  started  up,  and  threw  down  his  pen. 

"  From  Lotys !  "  he  echoed,  while  through  his  mind 
there  flew  a  sudden  sweet  hope  that  after  all  the  star  was 
willing  to  fall !  —  the  flower  was  ready  to  be  gathered !  — 
and  that  the  woman  who  had  sent  him  away  from  her  the 
day  before,  had  a  heart  too  full  of  love  to  remain  obdurate 


Sailing  to  the  Infinite         519 

to  the  pleadings  of  her  kingly  lover! '  Paul  Zouche, 

with  a  message  from  Lotys?    Let  him  come  in!  " 

Whereupon  Zouche,  hidden  to  enter,  did  so,  and  stood 
in  the  Royal  presence  unabashed,  but  quite  silent.  An 
ominous  presentiment  crept  coldly  through  the  monarch's 
warm  veins,  as  he  saw  the  dreary  pain  expressed  on  the 
features  of  the  man,  who  had  so  persistently  scorned  him 
and  his  offered  bounty,  —  and  with  a  slight,  but  impera- 
tive sign,  he  dismissed  Sir  Roger  de  Launay,  who  retired 
reluctantly,  full  of  forebodings. 

'  Now  Zouche,"  he  said  gently;  "  What  do  you  seek  of 
me?    What  is  your  message?  " 

Zouche  looked  full  at  him. 

r'  As  King,"  he  answered,  "  I  seek  nothing  from  you ! 
As  comrade  "  —  and  his  accents  faltered  —  "I  would  fain 
break  bad  news  to  you  gently  —  I  would  spare  you  as 
much  as  possible  — -  and  give  you  time  to  face  the  blow,  — 
for  I  know  you  loved  her !     Lotys " 

The  monarch's  heart  almost  stood  still.  What  was  this 
hesitating  tone  —  these  great  tears  in  Zouche's  eyes  ? 

"  Lotys!  "  he  repeated  slowly,  and  in  a  faint  whisper; 
'  Yes,  yes go  on  !     Go  on,  comrade !     Lotys  ?  " 

"  Lotys  is  dead !  " 

An  awful  stillness  followed  the  words.  Stiff  and  rigid 
the  King  sat,  as  though  stricken  by  sudden  paralysis, 
giving  no  sign.  Minute  after  minute  slipped  away,  ■ — 
and  he  uttered  not  a  word,  nor  did  he  raise  his  eyes  from 
the  fixed  study  of  the  carpet  at  his  feet. 

"  Lotys  is  dead!  "  went  on  Zouche,  speaking  in  a  slow 
monotonous  way.  '  This  morning,  the  first  thing  —  they 
found  her.  She  had  killed  herself.  The  pistol  was  in  her 
hand.  And  they  are  laying  her  out  with  flowers,  —  like 
a  bride,  or  a  queen,  —  and  you  can  go  and  see  her  at  rest 
so,  —  for  the  last  time,  —  if  you  will !  This  is  my  mes- 
sage !     It  is  a  message  from  the  dead !  " 

Still  the  King  spoke  not  a  word ;  nor  did  he  lift  his  eyes 
from  his  brooding  observation  of  the  ground. 

'  To  be  a  great  King,  as  you  are,"  said  Zouche ;  "  And 
yet  to  be  unable  to  keep  alive  a  love  when  you  have  won 
it,  is  a  hard  thing !  She  must  have  killed  herself  for  your 
sake !  " 

No  answer  was  vouchsafed  to  him.     He  began  to  feel 


520  "Temporal  Power' 

a  strange  pity  for  that  solemn,  upright  figure,  sitting 
there  inflexibly  silent,  —  and  he  approached  it  a  little 
nearer. 

"Comrade!"  he  said  softly;  'I  have  hated  you  as 
a  King !  Yes,  I  have  always  hated  you !  —  even  when  I 
found  you  had  played  the  part  of  '  Pasquin  Leroy,'  and 
had  worked  for  our  Cause,  and  had  helped  to  make  what 
is  now  called  my  '  fame  ' !  I  hated  you, — because  through 
it  all,  and  whatever  you  did  for  me,  or  for  others,  it 
seemed  to  me  you  had  never  known  hunger  and  cold  and 
want !  —  never  known  what  it  was  to  have  love  snatched 
away  from  you!  .1  watched  the  growth  of  your  passion 
for  Lotys  -  -  T  knew  she  loved  you  !  —  and  had  you  indeed 
been  the  poor  writer  and  thinker  you  assumed  to  be,  all 
might  have  been  well  for  you  both !  But  when  you  de- 
clared yourself  to  be  King,  what  could  there  be  for  such  a 
woman  but  death  ?  She  would  never  have  chosen  dis- 
honour! She  has  taken  the  straight  way  out  of  trouble, 
but  —  but  she  has  left  you  alone !  And  I  am  sorry  for 
you  !  I  know  what  it  is  —  to  be  left  alone  !  You  have 
a  palace  here,  adorned  with  all  the  luxuries  that  wealth 
can  buy,  and  yet  you  are  alone  in  it !  I  too  have  a  palace, 
—  a  palace  of  thought,  furnished  with  ideals  and  dreams 
which  no  wealth  can  buy ;  and  I  am  alone  in  it  too !  I 
killed  the  woman  who  loved  me  best ;  and  you  have  done 
the  same,  in  your  way!  It  is  the  usual  trick  of  men, — 
to  kill  the  women  who  love  them  best,  and  then  to  be 
sorry  for  ever  afterwards!  ' 

He  drew  still  nearer then  very  slowly,  very  hesi- 
tatingly, dropped  on  one  knee,  and  ventured  to  kiss  the 
monarch's  passive  hand. 

"  My  comrade !    My  King !    I  am  sorry  for  you  now  !  " 

For  answer,  his  own  hand  was  suddenly  caught  in  a 
fierce  convulsive  grip,  and  the  King  rose  stiffly  erect.  His 
features  were  grey  and  drawn,  his  lips  were  bloodless, 
his  eyes  glittering,  as  with  fever.  Stricken  to  the  heart 
as  he  was,  he  yet  forced  himself  to  find  voice  and 
utterance. 

"  Speak  again,  Zouche !  Speak  those  horrible,  horrible 
words  again!  Make  me  feel  them  to  be  true!  Lotys  is 
dead !  " 

Zouche,  with  something  like  fear  for  the  visible,  yet 


Sailing  to  the  Infinite        521 

strongly    suppressed    anguish    of    the    man    hefore    him, 

sighed  drearily  as  he  repeated 

"  Lotys  is  dead !  It  is  God's  way  —  to  kill  all  beautiful 
things,  just  as  we  have  learned  to  love  them!  She, — 
Lotys,  —  used  to  talk  of  Justice  and  Order,  —  poor  soul ! 

—  she  never  found  either!    Yet  she  believed  in  God!  " 
The  King's  stern  face  never  relaxed  in  its  frozen  rigid- 

itv  of  woe.     Only  his  lips  moved  mutteringly. 

"Dead!  Lotys!  My  God! --my  God!  To  rise  to 
such  a  height  of  hope  and  good  —  and  then  —  to  fall  so 
low  !    Lotys  gone  from  me !  --  and  with  her  goes  all !  " 

Then  a  sudden  delirious  hurry  seemed  to  take  posses- 
sion of  him. 

"  Go  now,  Zouchc!  "  he  said  impatiently  —  "  Go  back 
to  the  place  where  she  lies  —  and  tell  her  I  am  coming! 
I  must  —  I  will  see  her  again  !  And  I  will  see  you  again, 
Zouche !  —  you  too !  "  He  forced  a  pale  smile  —  "  Yes, 
poor  poet !  I  will  see  you  and  speak  with  you  of  this  — 
you  shall  write  for  her  a  dirge !  —  a  threnody  of  passion 
and  regret  that  shall  make  the  whole  world  weep !  Poor 
Zouche  !  —  you  have  had  a  hard  life  —  well  may  you 
wonder  why  God  made  us  men  !    And  Lotys  is  dead !  " 

He  rang  the  bell  on  his  desk  violently.  Sir  Roger  de 
Launay  at  once  returned,  -  -  but  started  back  at  the  sight 
of' his  Royal  master's  altered  countenance. 

"  Have  the  kindness,  De  Launay  "  —  said  the  King 
hurriedly,  not  heeding  his  dismayed  looks  —  "  to  place  a 
carriage  at  the  disposal  of  our  friend  Zouche !  He  has 
much  business  to  do ;  —  sad  news  to  bear  to  all  the  quar- 
ters of  the  city  —  he  will  tell  you  of  it,  —  as  he  has  just 
told  me  !  Lotys,  —  you  know  her !  —  Lotys,  who  saved 
my  life  at  the  risk  of  her  own,  —  Lotys  is  dead !  " 

Sir  Roger  recoiled  with  an  ejaculation  of  horror  and 

"  It  is  sudden  —  and  —  and  strange !  continued  the 
King,  still  speaking  in  the  same  rapid  manner,  and  be- 
ginning to  push  aside  the  various  letters  and  documents 
on  his  table  —  "  It  is  a  kind  of  darkness  fallen  without 
warning !  —  but  —  such  tragedies  always  do  happen  thus 

—  unpreparedly  !    Lotys  was  a  grand  creature,  —  a  noble 
and  self-sacrificing  woman  —  the  poor  will  miss  her  —  yes 

—  the  poor  will  miss  her  greatly ! " 


522  ''Temporal  Power 


?» 


He  broke  off,  and  with  a  speechless  gesture  of  agonised 
entreaty,  intimated  that  he  must  be  left  alone.  De  Launay 
hustled  Zouche  out  of  the  apartment  in  a  kind  of  impotent 
fury. 

'Why  have  you  brought  the  King  such  news?"  he 
demanded  —  "It  will  kill  him  !  " 

'  He  has  killed  her!  "  returned  Zouche,  grimly  —  "  If 
he  had  never  crossed  her  path,  she  would  have  been  alive 
now  !  Why  should  not  a  King  suffer  like  other  men  ?  He 
does  the  same  foolish  things,  —  he  has  his  private  loves 
and  hatreds  in  the  same  foolish  manner,  —  why  should  he 
escape  punishment  for  his  follies  ?  It  is  only  in  suffering 
that  he  grows  human,  —  stripped  by  grief  and  pain  of  his 
outward  pomp  and  temporal  power,  he  even  becomes 
lovable !  God  save  us  from  this  bauble  of  '  power  ' !  It 
is  what  Sergius  Thord  has  worked  for  all  his  life !  —  it  is 
what  this  King  claims  over  his  subjects  —  and  yet  —  both 
monarch  and  reformer  would  give  it  all  for  the  life  of  one 
woman  back  again !  Look  you,  the  King  has  had  a  dozen 
or  more  mistresses,  and  Heaven  knows  how  many  bas- 
tards —  but  he  has  only  loved  once !  And  it  is  well  that 
he  should  learn  what  real  love  means,  —  Sorrow  always, 
and  Death  often  !  " 

That  afternoon  the  whole  city  knew  of  the  tragic  end 
of  Lotys.  Nothing  else  was  thought  of,  nothing  else 
talked  of.  Thousands  gathered  to  look  up  at  the  house 
where  her  body  lay,  stiffening  in  the  cold  grasp  of  death, 
and  a  strong  body  of  police  were  summoned  to  guard  all 
the  approaches  to  the  premises,  in  order  to  prevent  a 
threatening  '  crush  '  and  disaster  among  the  increasing 
crowd,  every  member  of  which  sought  to  look  for  the 
last  time  on  the  face  of  her  who  had  unselfishly  served 
them  and  loved  them  in  their  hours  of  bitterest  need.  The 
sight  of  Sergius  Thord  passing  through  their  midst,  with 
bent  head,  and  ashy,  distraught  countenance,  had  not 
pacified  the  clamorous  grief  of  the  people,  nor  had  it 
elicited  such  an  outburst  of  sympathy  for  him  as  one  might 
have  thought  would  have  been  forthcoming.  An  idea 
had  gotten  abroad  that  since  his  election  as  Deputy  for 
the  city,  he  had  either  neglected  or  set  aside  the  woman 
who  had  assisted  him  to  gain  his  position.  It  was  a 
wrong  idea,  of  course,  —  but  the  trifling  fact  of  his  having 


Sailing  to  the  Infinite       523 

taken  up  his  abode  in  a  more  '  aristocratic  '  part  of  the 
metropolis,  while  Lotys  had  still  remained  in  the  '  quarter 
of  the  poor,'  was  sufficient  to  give  it  ground  in  the  minds 
of  the  ignorant,  who  are  always  more  or  less  suspicious  of 
even  their  best  friends.  Had  they  made  a  more  omi- 
nous guess,  —  had  they  imagined  that  Sergius  Thord  was 
the  actual  murderer  of  the  woman  they  had  idolised,  there 
would  have  been  no  remembrance  whatever  of  the  work 
he  had  done  to  aid  them  in  the  various  reforms  now  being 
made  for  their  benefit ;  —  they  would  have  torn  him  to 
pieces  without  a  moment's  mercy.  The  rough  justice  of 
the  mob  is  a  terrible  thing!  It  knows  nothing  of  legal 
phraseology  or  courtesy  —  it  merely  sees  an  evil  deed 
done,  and  straightway  proceeds  to  punish  the  evil-doer, 
regardless  of  consequences.  Happily  for  the  sake  of 
peace  and  order,  however,  no  thought  of  the  truth,  no  sus- 
picion of  the  real  cause  of  the  tragedy  occurred  to  any 
one  person  among  the  sorrow-stricken  multitude.  A  faint, 
half-sobbing  cheer  went  up  for  the  King,  as  his  private 
brougham  was  recognised,  making  its  way  slowly  through 
the  press  of  people,  —  and  it  was  with  a  kind  of  silent  awe, 
that  they  watched  his  tall  figure  alight  and  pass  into  the 
house  where  lay  the  dead.  Sergius  Thord  had  already 
entered  there,  —  the  King  and  his  new  Deputy  would 
meet !  And  with  uneasy  movements,  rambling  up  and 
down,  talking  of  Lotys,  of  her  gentleness,  patience  and 
never-wearying  sympathy  for  all  the  suffering  and  the 
lonely,  the  crowds  collected,  dispersed,  and  collected  again, 
—  every  soul  among  them  heavily  weighted  and  depressed 
by  the  grief  and  the  mystery  of  death,  which  though  oc- 
curring every  day,  still  seems  the  strangest  of  fates  to 
every  mortal  born  into  the  world. 

Meantime,  the  King  with  slow  reluctant  tread,  ascended 
into  the  room  of  death.  Sergius  Thord  stood  there,  — 
but  his  brooding  face  and  bulky  form  might  have  been  but 
a  mote  of  dust  in  a  sunbeam  for  the  little  heed  the  stricken 
monarch  took  of  him.  His  whole  sight,  his  whole  soul 
were  concentrated  on  the  white  recumbent  statue' with  the 
autumn-gold  hair,  which  was  couched  in  front  of  him, 
strewn  with  flowers.  That  was  Lotys  —  or  rather,  that 
had  been  Lotys !  It  was  now  a  very  beautiful,  still,  smil- 
ing Thing,  —  its  eyes  were  shut,  but  the  eyelashes  lay 


524  "Temporal  Power' 

delicately  on  the  pallid  cheeks  like  little  fringes  of  dark 
gold,  tenderly  slumbrous.  Those  eyelashes  matched  the 
hair  —  the  soft,  silken  hair  —  so  fine  —  so  lustrous,  so 
warm  and  bright !  —  the  hair  was  surely  yet  living !  With 
a  shuddering  sigh,  the' King  bent  over  the  piteous  sight, 
—  and  stooping  lower  and  lower  still,  touched  with  trem- 
bling lips  the  small,  crossed  hands. 

As  he  did  this,  his  arm  was  caught  roughly,  and  Thord 
thrust  him  aside. 

"  Do  not  touch  her !  "  he  muttered  hoarsely  —  "  Let  her 
rest  in  peace !  " 

Slowly  the  King  raised  his  face.  It  was  ashen  grey  and 
stricken  old.  The  dark,  clear,  grey  eyes  were  sunken  and 
dim,  —  the  light  of  hope,  ambition,  love  and  endeavour, 
was  quenched  in  them  for  ever. 

"  Was  she  unhappy,  that  she  killed  herself?  "  he  asked, 
in  a  hushed  voice. 

Thord  drew  back,  shuddering.  Those  sad,  lustreless 
eyes  of  his  Sovereign  seemed  to  pierce  his  soul!  He  — 
the  murderer  of  Lotys  —  could  not  face  them !  A  vague 
whirl  of  thoughts  tormented  his  brain,  —  he  had  heard 
it  said  that  a  murdered  person's  corpse  would  bleed  in  the 
presence  of  the  murderer,  —  would  the  dead  body  of 
Lotys  bleed  now,  he  wondered  dully,  if  he  waited  long 
enough?  If  so  —  the  King  would  know!  He  started 
guiltily,  as  once  more  the  sad,  questioning  voice  broke  on 
his  ears. 

"  Was  she  unhappy,  think  you  ?  You  knew  her  better 
than  I !  " 

Huskily,  and  with  dry  lips,  Thord  forced  an  answer. 

"  Nay,  it  is  possible  your  Majesty  knew  her  best!  " 

Again  the  sunken  melancholy  eyes  searched  his  face. 

"  She  was  endowed  with  genius,  —  rich  in  every  good 
gift  of  womanhood !  I  would  have  given  my  life  for 
hers  —  my  kingdom  to  spare  her  a  moment's  sorrow !  " 
went  on  the  King ;  "  But  she  would  have  nothing  from 
me  —  nothing !  '' 

"  Nothing,  —  not  even  love !  "  said  Thord  recklessly. 

"  That  she  had,  whether  she  would  or  no !  "  —  replied 
the  King,  slowly,  —  "  That  she  will  have,  till  time  itself 
shall  end !  " 

Thord  was  silent.     A  passion  of  mingled  fury  and  re- 


Sailing  to  the  Infinite       525 

morse  consumed  him,  —  his  heart  was  beating  rapidly,  — 
there  were  great  pulsations  in  his  brain  like  heavy  ham- 
mer-strokes, —  he  was  afraid  of  himself,  lest  on  a  savage 
impulse  he  should  leap  like  a  beast  of  prey  on  this  grave 
composed  figure,  —  this  King,  —  who  was  his  acknowl- 
edged ruler," — and  kill  him,  even  as  he  had  killed  Lotys! 
And  then,  -  -  he  thought  of  the  People !  -  -  the  People  by 
whose  great  force  and  strong  justice  he  had  sworn  to 
abide !  —  the  People  who  had  worshipped  and  applauded 
him,  —  the  People  who,  if  they  ever  knew  the  truth  of 
him  and  his  crime,  would  snatch  him  up  and  tear  his 
body  to  atoms,  as  surely  as  he  stood  branded  with  Murder 
in  God's  sight  this  day !  With  a  powerful  effort  he  rallied 
his  forces,  and  drawing  from  his  breast  the  small  folded 
paper  which  had  been  found  on  the  body  of  Lotys,  and 
which  was  inscribed  with  the  words  '  My  Last  Wish,"  he 
held  it  out  to  the  King. 

"  Then  your  Majesty  will  perhaps  grant  her  the  burial 
she  here  demands?"  he  said  —  "  It  is  a  strange  request! 

—  but  not  difficult  to  gratify  !  " 

Taking  the  paper,  the  monarch  touched  it  tenderly  with 
his  lips  before  opening  it.  In  all  the  blind  stupefaction  of 
his  own  grief,  he  was  struck  by  the  fact  that  there  was 
something  strained  and  unnatural  about  Thord's  appear- 
ance, —  something  wild  and  forced  even  in  his  expression 
of  sorrow.    He  studied  his  face  closely,  but  to  no  purpose  ; 

—  there  was  no  clue  to  the  mystery  packed  within  the 
harsh  lines  of  those  dark,  fierce  features,  —  he  seemed  no 
more  and  no  less  than  the  same  brooding,  leonine  creature 
that  had  mercilessly  planned  the  deaths  of  men  in  his  own 
Revolutionary  Committee.  There  was  no  touch  of  soft- 
ness in  his  eyes,  —  no  tears,  even  at  the  sight  of  Lotys 
smiling  coldly  in  her  flower-strewn  shroud.  And  now, 
unfolding  her  last  message,  the  King  beheld  it  thus 
expressed : 

"  To    THOSE    WHO    SHALL    FIND    ME   DEAD 

"  I  pray  you  of  your  gentle  love  and  charity,  not  to  bury 
my  body  in  the  earth,  but  in  the  sea.  For  I  most  earnestly 
desire  no  mark,  or  remembrance  of  the  place  where  my 
sorrows,  with  my  mortal  remains,  shall  be  rendered  back 


526  "Temporal  Power' 

to  nature ;  and  kinder  than  the  worms  in  the  mould  are 
the  wild  waves  of  the  ocean  which  I  have  ever  loved ! 
And  there,  —  at  least  to  my  own  thoughts,  —  if  any  spir- 
itual part  of  me  remains  to  -watch  my  will  performed,  — 
shall  I  be  best  pleased  and  most  grateful  to  be  given  my 
last  rest.  Lotys." 

This  document  had  been  written  and  signed  some  years 
back,  and  had,  therefore,  nothing  to  do  with  any  idea  of 
immediate  departure  from_  the  world,  or  premeditated 
suicide.  And  once  again  the  King  looked  searchingly  at 
Thord,  as  he  returned  him  the  paper. 

"  Her  will  shall  be  performed!  "  he  said  —  "  And  in  a 
manner  befitting  her  memory,  —  befitting  the  love  borne 
to  her  by  a  People  —  and  —  a  King !  " 

He  paused,  —  then  went  on  softly. 
'  To  you  Sergius,  my  friend  and  comrade !  —  to  you 
will  be  entrusted  the  task  of  committing  this  sweet  casket 
of  a  sweeter  soul  to  the  mercy  of  the  waves !  —  you,  the 
guardian  of  her  childhood,  the  defender  of  her  woman- 
hood, the  protector  of  her  life " 

"O  God!  No  more  —  no  more!"  cried  Thord,  sud- 
denly falling  on  his  knees  by  the  couch  of  the  dead  — 
"  No  more  —  in  mercy !  I  will  do  all  —  all !  But  leave 
me  with  her  now !  —  leave  me  alone  with  her,  this  last 
little  while !  " 

And  breaking  into  great  sobs,  he  buried  his  head 
among  the  death-flowers  in  an  utter  abandonment  of 
despair. 

Silently  the  King  watched  him  for  a  little  space.  Then 
he  turned  his  eyes  towards  the  pale  form  of  the  woman  he 
had  loved,  and  who  had  taught  him  the  noblest  and  most 
selfless  part  of  love,  sleeping  her  last  sleep,  with  a  fixed 
sweet  smile  upon  her  face. 

'We  shall  meet  again,  my  Lotys!"  he  whispered  — 
"  On  the  other  side  of  Death  !  " 

And  so,  —  with  the  quiet  air  of  one  who  knows  a  quick 
way  out  of  difficulty,  he  departed. 

Some  five  days  later,  a  strange  and  solemn  spectacle 
was  witnessed  by  thousands  of  spectators  from  all  the 
shores  and  quays  of  the  sea-girt  city.  A  ship  set  sail  for 
the  Land  of  the  Infinite !  —  a  silent  passenger  went  forth 


Sailing  to  the  Infinite        527 

on  a  voyage  to  the  borders  of  the  Unknown !  Coffined  in 
state, -- with  a  purple  velvet  pall  trailing  its  rich  folds 
over  the  casket  which  enshrined  her  perished  mortality, 

—  and  with  flowers  of  every  imaginable  rareness,  or  wild- 
ness,  scattered  about  it,  —  the  body  of  Lotys  was,  with  no 
religious  or  formal  ceremony,  placed  on  the  deck  of  a 
sailing-brig,  and  sent  out  to  the  waves  for  burial.  So 
Sergius  Thord  had  willed  it ;  so  Sergius  Thord  had 
planned  it.  He  had  purchased  the  vessel  for  this  one 
purpose,  and  with  his  own  hands  he  had  strewn  the  deck 
with  blossoms,  till  it  looked  like  a  floating  garden  of  fairy- 
land. Garlands  of  roses  trailed  from  the  mast,  —  wreaths 
from  every  former  member  of  the  now  extinct  '  Revolu- 
tionary Committee  '  were  heaped  in  profusion  about  the 
coffin  which  lay  in  the  centre  of  the  deck,  -  -  the  sails  were 
white  as  snow,  and  one  of  them  bore  the  name  '  Lotys  ' 
upon  it,  in  letters  of  gold.  It  was  arranged  that  the  brig 
should  be  towed  from  the  harbour,  and  out  to  sea  for  about 
a  couple  of  miles,  —  and  when  there,  should  be  cut  free 
and  set  loose  to  the  wind  and  tide  to  meet  its  fate  of  cer- 
tain wreckage  in  the  tossing  billows  beyond.  In  strange 
contrast  to  this  floating  funeral  were  the  brilliant  flags 
and  gay  streamers  which  were  already  being  put  up  along 
the  streets  and  quays,  as  the  first  signs  of  the  city's  wel- 
come to  the  Crown  Prince  and  his  bride,  who  were  ex- 
pected to  arrive  home  somewhere  within  the  next  ten  days. 
Eager  crowds  watched  the  unique  ceremony,  unknown 
save  in  old  Viking  days,  of  sending  forth  a  dead  voyager 
to  sail  the  pitiless  seas ;  and  countless  numbers  of  small 
boats  attended  the  funeral  vessel  in  a  long  flotilla,  —  es- 
corting it  out  to  that  verge  where  the  ocean  opened  widely 
to  the  wider  horizon,  and  spread  its  high  road  of  silver 
waves  invitingly  out  to  the  approaching  silent  adventurer. 
Comments  ran  freely  from  lip  to  lip,  —  Sergius  Thord  had 
been  seen,  pale  as  death,  laying  flowers  on  the  deck  to  the 
last,  —  the  King,  —  yes  !  —  the  King  himself  had  sent 
a  wreath,  as  a  token  of  remembrance,  to  the  obsequies  of 
the  woman  who  had  saved  his  life,  —  the  purple  velvet 
pall,  with  its  glittering  fringes  of  gold,  had  been  the  gift 
of  the  city  of  which  Thord  was  the  lately-elected  Deputy, 

—  Louis  Valdor  had  sent  that  garland  of  violets,  —  the 
great  wreath  of  roses  which  lay  at  the  head  of  the  coffin, 


528  "Temporal  Power' 

was  the  offering  of  the  famous  little  dancer,  Pequita,  who, 
it  was  said,  now  lay  sick  of  a  fever  brought  on  by  grief 
and  fretting  for  the  loss  of  her  best  friend,  —  and  rich 
and  poor  alike  had  vied  with  one  another  in  assisting  the 
weird  beauty  of  this  exceptional  and  strange  burial,  in 
which  no  sexton  was  employed  but  the  wild  wind,  which 
would  in  due  time  scoop  a  hollow  in  the  sea,  and  whirl 
down  into  fathomless  deeps  all  that  remained  of  a  loving 
woman,  with  the  offerings  of  a  People's  love  around  her ! 
From  the  Palace  windows  the  Queen  watched  the  weird 
pageant,  with  straining  eyes,  and  a  sense  of  relief  at  her 
heart.  This  unknown  rival  of  hers,  —  this  Lotys  —  was 
dead !  Her  body  would  soon  be  drifting  out  on  the  wild 
waste  of  waters,  to  be  caught  by  the  first  storm  and  sunk 
in  the  depths  of  eternal  silence.  She  was  glad  !  —  almost 
she  could  have  sung  for  joy!  The  colour  mantled  on 
her  fair  cheeks,  —  she  looked  younger  and  more  beauti- 
ful than  ever.    She  had  learned  her  long-neglected  lesson, 

—  the  lesson  of, '  how  to  love.'  And  to  herself  she  humbly 
confessed  the  truth  —  that  she  loved  no  other  than  her 
husband !  The  King  had  now  become  the  centre  of  her 
heart,  as  he  had  become  the  centre  of  his  People's  trust. 
And  she  watched  the  vessel  bearing  the  corpse  of  Lotys, 
gliding,  gliding  over  the  waves  —  she  tracked  the  circling 
concourse  of  boats  that  went  with  it  —  and  waited,  with 
quickened  breath  and  eager  eyes,  till  she  saw  a  sudden 
pause  in  the  procession  —  when,  riding  lightly  on  a  shin- 
ing wave,  the  funeral-ship  seemed  to  stop  for  an  instant 

—  and  then,  with  a  bird-like  dip  forward,  scurried  out 
with  full,  bulging  sails  to  the  open  sea !  The  crowding 
spectators  began  to  break  up  and  disperse  —  the  flotilla 
of  attendant  boats  turned  back  to  shore  —  the  dead  woman 
who  had  held  such  magnetic  influence  over  the  King, 
was  gone !  —  gone  for  ever  into  the  watery  caverns  of 
endless  death ! 

It  was  with  a  light  heart  that  the  Queen  at  last  rose 
from  her  watch  at  the  window,  and  prepared  to  array  her- 
self for  the  return  of  her  sovereign  lord.  Her  eyes 
sparkled,  her  lips  smiled  ;  she  looked  the  very  incarnation 
of  love  and  tenderness.  The  snow-peak  had  melted  at 
last,  and  underneath  the  ice,  love's  late  violets  had  begun 
to  bloom !     She  glanced  once  more  out  at  the  sea,  where 


Sailing  to  the  Infinite        529 

the  vanishing  death-ship  now  seemed  but  a  speck  on  the 
far  horizon,  and  saw  a  bank  of  solemn  purple  clouds 
darkening  the  golden  sunset  line,  —  clouds  that  rose  up 
thickly  and  swiftly,  like  magic  mountains  conjured  into 
sudden  existence  bv  some  witch  in  a  fairy  tale.  A  srust 
of  wind  shook  the  lattice  —  and  moaned  faintly  through 
the  chinks  of  the  door. 

'  There  will  be  a  storm  to-night !  "  she  said  musingly, 
her  eyes  following  the  dispersing  crowds,  as  they  poured 
along  the  terrace  from  the  shore,  or  climbed  up  from  the 
quays  to  the  higher  streets  of  the  town  :  —  "  There  will  be 
a  storm !  —  and  the  woman  who  was  called  Lotys,  will 
know  nothing  of  it !  The  vessel  she  sails  in  will  be  crushed 
like  a  shell  in  the  teeth  of  the  blast,  and  her  body  will  sink- 
like  a  stone  in  the  angry  sea !  So  will  she  sleep  —  so  does 
her  brief  power  over  the  King  come  to  an  end !  " 

Turning,  she  smiled  at  her  lady-in-waiting,  Teresa  de 
Launay,  who  had  also  watched  the  sea  funeral  of  Lotys 
with  wondering  and  often  tear-filled  eyes. 

"  How  the  people  must  have  loved  her!  "  the  girl  mur- 
mured softly ;  '  No  poor  person  or  child  came  to  these 
strange  obsequies  without  flowers  !  —  many  wept  —  and 
some  swear  there  is  no  happiness  at  all  for  them  now, 
without  Lotys !  She  must  have  been  a  sweet,  unselfish 
woman !  " 

The  Queen  was  silent. 

'  Since  she  saved  the  life  of  our  lord  the  King,  I  have 
often  thought  of  her!  "  went  on  Teresa  —  "  I  have  even 
hoped  to  see  her !  Dearest  Madam,  would  you  not  have 
been  glad  to  thank  her  once  before  she  died?  " 

The  Queen's  face  hardened. 

''  She  only   did   her   duty !  "    was   the   cold   answer  — 
'  Every  subject  in  the  realm  would  be  proud  to  have  the 
chance  of  being  the  King's  defender!  " 

At  that  moment  the  door  opened,  and  Sir  Roger  de 
Launay  entered,  —  then  drew  back  in  some  surprise  and 
hesitation. 

'  I  crave  your  pardon,  Madam !  "  he  said,  bowing  low 
—  "I  thought  the  King  was  here !  " 

'Truly  the  King  should  be  here  by  now,"  —  replied 
the  Queen  gently  —  "  But  he  is  doubtless  detained  among 
the  people,  who  wait  upon  his  footsteps,  as  though  he 

34 


53°  "Temporal  Power" 

were  a  demi-god !  "  She  smiled  happily.  "  He  went  out 
to  see  yonder  strange  funeral  pageant  —  and  left  no  word 
of  the  hour  of  his  return." 

Sir  Roger  looked  perplexed.  The  Queen  noticed  his 
expression  of  anxiety. 

"  Stay  but  a  moment,  Sir  Roger,"  she  added  —  "  Now 
I  remember,  he  bade  me  at  sunset,  go  to  my  own  room 
and  fetch  a  packet  I  would  find  from  him  there,  —  he 
may  be  waiting  for  me  now !  " 

She  retired,  the  radiant  smile  still  upon  her  face,  and 
Sir  Roger  looked  at  his  sister  with  concern  for  her  tearful 
eyes. 

'  Weeping,  Teresa?  "  he  said  —  "What  is  the  trouble?" 
'Nothing!"    she   answered    quickly  —  "Only    a   pre- 
sentiment of  evil !    That  funeral-ship  has  made  me  sad !  " 

Sir  Roger  said  nothing  for  the  moment.  He  was  too 
preoccupied  with  his  own  forebodings  to  give  much  heed 
to  hers.     He  walked  to  the  window. 

'  There  will  be  a  storm  to-night !  "  he  said.  "  Look  at 
those  great  clouds !  They  are  big  with  thunder  and  with 
rain !  " 

'Yes!"  murmured  Teresa  —  "There  will  be  a  storm 
Madam !  " 

She  turned  with  a  cry  to  feel  the  Queen's  grip  on 
her  shoulder  —  to  see  the  Queen,  white  as  marble,  with 
blazing  eyes,  possessed  by  a  very  frenzy  of  grief  and 
terror.  A  tragic  picture  of  despairing  Majesty,  she  con- 
fronted the  startled  De  Launay  with  an  open  paper  in 
her  hand. 

'  Where  is  the  King?"  she  demanded,  in  accents  that 
quivered  with  fear  and  passion.  "  From  you,  Sir  Roger 
de  Launay,  must  come  the  answer !  To  you,  his  friend 
and  servant,  I  trusted  his  safety !  And  of  you  I  ask  again 
—  Where  is  the  King?  " 

Stupefied  and  stunned,  Sir  Roger  stared  helplessly  at 
this  enraged  splendour  of  womanhood,  this  embodied 
wrath  of  royalty. 

'  Madam  !  "  he  stammered,  —  "I  know  nothing  — 
save  that  the  King  has  been  sorely  stricken  by  a  great 
sorrow " 

She  looked  at  him  with  flashing  eyes. 

"  Sorrow  for  what  ?  —  for  whom  ?  " 


Sailing  to  the  Infinite        531 

De  Launay  gazed  at  her  amazedly ;  —  why  did  she  ask 
of  what  she  knew  so  well? 

"  Madam,  to  answer  that  is  not  within  my  province!  " 

She  was  silent,  breathing  quickly.  Great  tears  gathered 
on  her  lashes,  but  did  not  fall. 

"  When  saw  you  his  Majesty  last?  " 

"  But  three  hours  since,  Madam !  He  bade  me  leave 
him  alone,  saying  he  would  walk  a  while  in  the  further 
grounds  away  from  the  sight  of  the  sea.  He  had  no 
mind,  he  said,  to  look  upon  the  passing  away  of  Lotys !  ' 

A  strange  grey  pallor  crept  over  the  Queen's  face.  She 
stood  proudly  erect,  yet  tottered  as  though  about  to  fall. 
Teresa  de  Launay  ran  to  her  in  terror. 

"  Dearest  Madam  !  "  cried  the  trembling  girl  —  "  Be 
comforted !     Be  patient !    The  King  will  come !  " 

"  He  will  never  come !  "  said  the  Queen  in  a  low  choked 

voice; "Never    again never,    never    again!      I 

feel  —  I  know  —  that  I  have  lost  him  for  ever !  He  has 
gone  —  but  where  ?  —  O  God !  —  where  !  '' 

"  Madam !  "  said  Sir  Roger,  shaken  to  the  soul  by  the 
sight  of  her  suppressed  agony  —  "  That  paper  in  your 
hand " 

"  This  paper,"  she  said,  with  a  convulsive  effort  at 
calmness,  "  makes  me  Regent  till  the  return  of  my  son, 
the  Crown  Prince  —  and  —  at  the  same  time  —  bids  me 
farewell !  Farewell !  —  and  why  farewell  ?  Oh,  faithless 
servant !  "  and  she  advanced  a  step,  fixing  her  burning 
eyes  on  the  stricken  De  Launay  —  "I  thought  you  loved 
me!" 

His  face  flushed  —  his  lips  quivered. 

"  As  God  lives,  Madam,  I  yield  to  no  one  in  my  love 
and  service  of  you  !  " 

"  Then  find  the  King!  "  and  she  stretched  out  her  arm 
with  a  gesture  of  authority  —  "  Bring  back  to  me  my  hus- 
band !  —  the  one  man  of  the  world  !  —  the  one  man  I  have 
learned  to  love  !  Follow  the  King !  —  whether  on  land 
or  sea,  whether  alive  or  dead,  —  in  heaven  or  hell,  follow 
him !  Your  place  is  not  with  me  ■ —  but  by  your  master's 
side!  If  you  know  not  whither  he  has  fled,  make  it  your 
business  to  learn !  —  and  never  let  me  see  your  face  again 
till  his  face  shines  beside  yours,  like  sunshine  against 
darkness !  —  till  his  eyes,  his  smile  make  gladness  wdiere 


522  "Temporal  Power' 

your  presence  without  him  is  a  mocking  misery !  Out  of 
my  sight !  And  nevermore  return  again,  save  in  your 
duty  and  attendance  on  the  King!  " 

"  Madam,  —  Madam  !  "  exclaimed  Teresa  —  "  Would 
you  condemn  my  brother  to  a  lasting  banishment  ?  What 
if  the  King  were  dead  ?  " 

"  Dead!  "  The  word  left  the  Queen's  lips  in  a  sharp 
sob  of  pain  —  "  The  King  cannot  die !  —  he  is  too  strong 
—  too  bold  and  brave !  He  has  met  death  ere  now  and 
conquered  it !  Dead  ?  No  —  that  is  not  possible  —  that 
could  not  be !  " 

She  turned  again  upon  Sir  Roger,  standing  mute  and 
pale,  a  very  statue  of  despair. 

"  I  give  you  a  high  mission!  "  she  said  —  "  Fulfil  it!  " 

He  started  from  his  unhappy  reverie. 

"  Be  sure  that  I  will  do  so !  "  he  said  —  "I  will  —  as 
your  Majesty  bids  me  —  follow  the  King!  And  —  till 
the  King  returns  with  me  —  I  also  say  farewell !  " 

Catching  his  sister  in  his  arms,  he  kissed  her  with  a 
murmured  blessing  —  and  profoundly  saluting  the  woman 
for  whose  love's  sake  his  very  life  was  now  demanded,  he 
left  the  room. 

"  Roger,  Roger !  "  cried  Teresa  in  an  anguish,  as  the 
sound  of  his  footsteps  died  away  —  "  Come  back !  Come 
back!" 

And  falling  on  her  knees  by  the  Queen's  side,  she  burst 
into  wild  weeping. 

"  If  the  King  has  gone  for  ever,  my  brother  is  gone 
too,"  she  sobbed  —  "  Oh,  dearest  Majesty,  have  you  no 
heart?" 

"  None !  "  said  the  Queen  with  a  strained  smile,  while 
the  slow,  hot  tears  began  to  fall  from  her  aching  eyes  — 
"  None !  What  heart  I  had  is  gone !  It  follows  the 
King!" 


CHAPTER    XXXIV 

ABDICATION 

A  GREAT  storm  was  gathering.  The  heavy  purple 
clouds  which  had  arisen  in  the  west  at  sunset, 
when  all  that  was  mortal  of  Lotys  had  been  sent  forth  to 
a  lonely  burial  in  the  sea,  had  gradually  spread  over  the 
whole  sky,  darkening  in  hue  as  they  moved,  and  rolling 
together  in  huge  opaque  masses,  which  presently  began  to 
close  in  and  become  denser  as  the  night  advanced.  By 
and  by  a  wild  wind  awoke,  as  it  were,  from  the  very 
cavities  of  ocean,  and  the  waves  began  to  hiss  warnings 
all  along  the  coast,  and  to  rise  higher  and  higher  over 
each  other's  shoulders  as  the  gale  steadily  increased. 
Rene  Ronsard,  sitting  in  his  cottage,  feeble  and  somewhat 
ailing,  heard  the  beginnings  of  the  tempest  with  long- 
accustomed  ears.  He  was  depressed  in  spirit,  yet  not 
altogether  solitary,  for  he  had  with  him  a  kindly  com- 
panion in  Professor  von  Glauben.  The  Professor  had 
been  one  of  the  many  who  had  attended  the  strange 
funeral-pageant  of  the  afternoon,  not  only  out  of  interest 
in,  and  regret  for,  the  fate  of  the  woman  whose  unique 
character  he  had  admired,  and  whose  difficult  position  he 
had  pitied ;  but  also  because  he  had  suffered  from  an 
unpleasant  presentiment  to  which  he  could  give  no  name. 
If  he  could  have  described  his  forebodings  at  all,  he  would 
have  said  they  were  more  or  less  connected  with  the  King, 
— but  how  or  why,  he  would  not  have  been  able  to  explain, 
save  that  since  the  death  of  Lotys,  his  Sovereign  master 
had  no  longer  looked  the  same  man.  Stricken  as  with  a 
blight,  and  grown  suddenlv  old,  his  manner  and  appear- 
ance were  as  of  one  devoured  by  a  secret  despair,  —  a 
corroding  disease,  —  of  which  the  end  could  only  be  dis- 
astrous. Overcome  by  the  pain  and  distress  of  being  the 
constant  witness  of  a  sorrow  which  he  felt  to  the  heart, 
yet  could  not  relieve,  the  Professor,  on  returning  from 


534  "Temporal  Power' 

the  scene  of  Lotys's  impressive  funeral,  had  put  ashore 
on  The  Islands,  instead  of  going  back  to  the  mainland. 
He  had  sought  permission  from  the  King  to  remain  with 
Ronsard  for  the  night,  —  and  the  permission  had  been 
readily,  almost  eagerly  granted.  The  King,  indeed,  had 
seemed  glad  to  be  relieved  of  the  too  anxious  solicitude 
of  his  physician,  who,  he  knew,  was  well  aware  of  the 
concealed  agony  of  mind  which  tortured  and  well-nigh 
maddened  him,  —  and  the  Professor,  keenly  observant, 
was  equally  conscious  that,  under  the  immediate  circum- 
stances, his  attendance  might  seem  more  of  an  intrusion 
than  a  duty. 

'  De  Launay  was  not  far  wrong  when  he  prophesied 
danger  for  the  King  as  the  result  of  his  beginning  to  think 
for  himself;"  he  mused  —  "Yet  it  has  come  —  this 
danger  —  in  a  different  way  to  that  in  which  we  expected 
it !  It  is  a  bold  move  for  the  ruler  of  a  country  to  make 
personal  examination  into  the  needs  of  his  people,  —  but 
it  is  seldom  that,  while  engaged  in  such  a  task,  the  ruler 
himself  becomes  ruled,  by  a  stronger  force  than  even  his 
own  temporal  power !  " 

And  now,  sitting  with  old  Rene  Ronsard,  by  a  fire 
which  had  been  kindled  on  this  somewhat  chilly  night  for 
his  better  comfort,  he  was,  despite  the  impression  of  sad- 
ness and  disaster  which  hung  upon  his  mind  as  darkly 
as  the  clouds  were  hanging  in  heaven,  doing  his  best  to 
rouse  both  himself  and  his  companion  to  greater  cheerful- 
ness. The  wind,  shaking  the  lattice,  and  now  and  then 
screaming  dismally  under  the  door,  did  not  inspire  him 
to  gaiety,  but  his  thoughts  were  principally  for  Ron- 
sard, who  was  inclined  to  yield  to  an  overpowering 
despondency. 

'  This  will  never  do,  Ronsard !  "  he  said  after  a  pause, 
during  which  he  had  noticed  a  tear  or  two  steal  slowly 
down  the  old  man's  furrowed  cheek  ;  "  What  sort  of  a 
welcome  will  such  a  face  as  yours  be  to  our  Crown  Prin- 
cess Gloria?  She  will  soon  be  here;  think  of  it!  And 
what  a  triumphant  entry  she  will  make,  acclaimed  by  the 
whole  nation  !  " 

'I  shall  not  be  wanted  in  her  life!  "'said  Ronsard, 
slowly.  "  After  all,  I  am  nothing  to  her,  and  have  no 
claim  upon  her.     I  found  her,  as  a  poor  man  may  by 


Abdication  535 


chance  find  a  rare  jewel, -- that  the  jewel  is  afterwards 
found  worthy  to  be  set  in  a  king's  crown,  is  not  the 
business  of  that  same  poor  man.  He  who  merely  hews 
a  diamond  out  of  the  mine,  is  not  the  maker  of  the 
diamond !  " 

"  Gloria  loves  you !  "  said  the  Professor ;  "  And  she 
will  love  you  always  !  " 

Ronsard  smiled  faintly. 

"  My  friend,  I  understand,  and  I  accept  the  law  of 
change !  "  he  said.  '  To  me,  as  to  all,  it  must  come ! 
The  old  must  die,  and  the  young  succeed  them.  As  for 
me,  I  shall  be  glad  to  go  —  the  sooner  the  better,  I  truly 
think,  for  then  none  will  taunt  my  Gloria  with  the  simple 
manner  of  her  bringing  up  ;  —  none  will  remember  aught, 
save  her  exceeding  beauty,  or  blame  her  that  the  sun 
and  sea  were  her  only  known  parents.  And  if  we  credit 
legend,  hers  is  not  the  first  birth  of  loveliness  from  the 
bosom  of  the  waves  !  " 

Here  the  wind,  tearing  round  the  rafters,  rattled  and 
roared  for  a  space  like  a  demon  threatening  the  whole 
construction  of  the  house,  and  then  went  galloping  away 
with  a  shriek  among  the  pines  down  to  the  shore. 

"  A  wild  night !  '"  said  the  Professor,  with  a  slight 
shiver.  "  Alas!  poor  Lotys !  —  poor  '  Soul  of  an  Ideal  ' 
as  Sergius  Thord  called  her,  —  her  frail  mortal  tenement 
will  soon  be  drawn  down  to  the  depths  in  such  a  storm 
as  this !  " 

"  I  never  saw  her!  "  said  Ronsard  musingly;  "  Thord 
I  have  seen  often.  Lotys  was  to  me  a  name  merely,  — 
but  I  knew  it  was  a  name  to  conjure  with  —  a  name 
beloved  of  the  People.  Gloria  longed  to  see  her,  —  she 
had  heard  of  her  often." 

"  She  was  a  psychological  phenomenon,"  said  the  Pro- 
fessor slowly ;  "  And  I  admit  that  her  composition  baffled 
me.  No  one  have  I  ever  seen  at  all  like  her.  She  was 
beautiful  without  any  of  the  accepted  essentials  of  beauty 
—  and  it  is  precisely  such  a  woman  as  that  who  possesses 

the  most  dangerous  fascination  over  men not  over 

boys  —  but  over  men.  She  had  a  loving,  passionate, 
feminine  heart,  with  a  masculine  brain,  —  the  two  to- 
gether are  bound  to  constitute  what  is  called  Genius. 
The  only  thing  I  cannot  understand  is  the  unexpected 


5 3 ^  "Temporal  Power' 

weakness  she  displayed  in  committing  suicide.  That  I 
should  never  have  thought  of  her.  On  the  contrary,  I 
should  have  imagined,  knowing  as  much  of  her  as  I  did, 
that  the  greater  the  sorrow,  the  greater  the  fight  she  would 
have  made  against  it." 

A  silence  fell  between  them,  filled  by  the  thundering 
noise  of  the  wind. 

"  Where  is  Thord?  "  asked  Ronsard  presently. 

"I  do  not  know.  The  last  I  saw  of  him  was  on  board 
the  vessel  that  bore  her  coffin ;  —  he  was  laying  flowers 
on  the  deck.  He  was  not,  I  think,  in  any  of  the  smaller 
boats  that  accompanied  it;  he  must  have  returned  with 
the  crowd  on  shore.  He  has  his  duties  as  Deputy  for 
the  city  now,  we  must  remember !  " 

Ronsard's  eyes  flashed  with  a  glimmer  of  satire  in  the 
firelight. 

"If  it  had  not  been  for  Lotys,  he  would  not  be  a  Deputy, 
or  anything  else,  —  save  perchance  a  Communist  or  an 
Anarchist!  "  he  said;  "  He  used  to  be  one  of  the  fiercest 
malcontents  in  all  the  country  when  I  first  came  here. 
Many  and  many  is  the  time  I  have  heard  him  threaten 
to  kill  the  King !  " 

"  Ah !  "  said  the  Professor  meaningly,  the  while  he  bent 
his  eyes  on  the  flickering  fire. 

Again  a  silence  fell.  The  wind  roared  and  screamed 
around  the  building,  and  in  the  pauses  of  the  gale,  the 
minutes  seemed  weighted  with  a  strange  dread.  Every 
tick  of  the  clock  sounded  heavy  and  long,  even  to  the 
equable-minded  Professor.  The  storm  outside  was  grow- 
ing louder  and  even  louder,  and  his  thoughts,  despite 
himself,  turned  to  the  ocean-wildernesses  over  which 
Prince  Humphry's  home-returning  vessel  must  be  now 
on  its  way  —  while  that  other  solitary  barque,  unhelmed 
and  unmanned,  whose  sail  bore  the  name  of  '  Lotys  '  was 
also  voyaging,  but  in  a  darker  direction,  down  to  death 
and  oblivion,  carrying  with  it,  as  he  feared,  all  the  love 
and  heart  of  a  King!  Suddenly  a  loud  knocking  at  the 
door  startled  them ;  and  as  Ronsard  rose  from  his  chair, 
amazed  at  the  noise  and  Von  Glauben  did  the  same  with 
more  alacrity,  a  man  with  wind  blown  hair  and  excited 
gestures  burst  into  the  little  room. 

"  Ronsard !  "  he  cried ;  "  The  King  —  the  King !  " 


Abdication  537 

He  paused,  gasping  for  breath.  Ronsard  looked  at  him 
wonderingly.  His  clothes  were  saturated  with  sea-water, 
—  his  face  was  pale  —  and  his  eyes  expressed  some  fear 
that  his  tongue  seemed  incapable  of  uttering.  He  was  one 
of  the  coral-fishers  of  the  coast,  and  Ronsard  knew  him 
well. 

"  What  ails  you,  man?  "  he  asked ;  "  What  say  you  of 
the  King?  " 

Holding  the  door  of  the  cottage  open  with  some  diffi- 
culty, the  coral-fisher  pointed  to  the  sky  overhead.  It  was 
flecked  with  great  masses  of  white  cloud,  through  which 
the  moon  appeared  to  roll  rapidly  like  a  ball  of  yellow 
fire.  The  wind  howled  furiously,  and  the  pines  in  the 
near  distance  could  be  seen  bending  to  and  fro  like  reeds 
in  its  breath,  while  the  roar  of  the  sea  beyond  the  rocks 
was  fierce  and  deafening. 

"  It  is  all  storm !  "  cried  the  man,  excitedly ;  "  The 
billows  are  running  mountains  high  !  —  there  is  no  chance 
for  him !  " 

'  No  chance  for  whom  ? "  demanded  Von  Glauben, 
impatiently ;  "  What  would  you  tell  us  ?    Speak  plainly  !  ': 

"  It  was  the  King!  "  said  the  coral-fisher  again,  trying 
to  express  himself  more  collectedly  —  "I   saw  his  face 

lit  up  by  the  after-glow  of  the  sky white  —  white  as 

the  foam  on  the  wave !  Listen !  When  the  body  of  the 
woman  Lotys  was  borne  away  on  that  vessel,  a  man  came 
to  me  out  of  the  thickest  of  the  crowd  (I  was  on  one  of 
the  furthest  quays) — and  offered  me  a  purse  of  gold 
to  take  him  out  to  sea  —  and  to  steer  him  in  such  a  way 
that  we  should  meet  the  funeral  barque  just  as  she  was 
cut  adrift  and  sent  forth  to  be  wrecked  in  the  ocean. 
I  did  not  know  him  then.  He  kept  his  face  hidden,  — 
he  spoke  low,  and  he  was  evidently  in  trouble.  I  thought 
he  was  a  lover  of  the  dead  woman,  and  sought  perhaps 
to  comfort  himself  by  looking  at  her  coffin  for  the  last 
time.  So  I  consented  to  do  what  he  asked.  I  had  my 
sailing  skiff,  and  we  went  at  once.    The  wind  was  strong ; 

we   sailed   swiftly  —  and   at   the   appointed    place " 

He  paused  to  take  breath.  Ronsard  seized  him  by  the  arm. 

"  Quick !     Go  on  —  what  next  ?  " 

"  At  the  appointed  place  when  the  vessel  stopped,  — 
when  her  ropes  were  cut  and  she  afterwards  sprang  out 


53 8  "Temporal  Power' 

to  sea,  I,  by  his  orders,  ran  my  skiff  close  beside  her  as 
she  came,  —  and  before  I  knew  how  it  happened,  my 
passenger  sprang  aboard  her  —  Ay !  —  with  a  spring  as 
light  and  sure  as  the  flight  of  a  bird !  '  Farewell ! '  he 
said,  and  flung  me  the  promised  gold ;  '  May  all  be 
prosperous  with  you  and  yours ! '  And  then  the  wind 
swooped  down  and  bore  the  ship  a  mile  or  more  ere  I 
could  follow  it ;  but  the  strong  light  in  the  west  fell 
full  upon  the  man's  face  —  and  I  saw  —  I  knew  it  was 
the  King !  " 

"  Gott  in  Himmel!  May  you  for  ever  be  confounded 
and  mistaken !  "  exclaimed  Von  Glauben,  —  "I  left  the 
King  in  his  own  grounds  but  an  hour  before  I  myself 
started  to  witness  this  accursed  sea-funeral !  " 

'  I  say  it  was  the  King !  "  repeated  the  man  emphat- 
ically. '  I  would  swear  it  was  the  King !  And  the  vessel 
going  out  to  meet  the  storm  to-night,  holds  the  living, 
as  well  as  the  dead !  " 

With  a  sudden  movement,  as  active  as  it  was  decided, 
old  Ronsard  went  to  a  corner  in  the  room  and  drew  out 
a  thick  coil  of  rope  with  an  iron  hook  at  the  end,  and 
slinging  it  round  his  waist  with  the  alert  cmickness  of 
youth,  made  for  the  open  door. 

"  Where  is  your  skiff?"  he  demanded. 

;'  Ashore  down  yonder ;  "  answered  the  coral-fisher ; 
"But  you  —  what  are  you  going  to  do?  You  cannot 
sail  her  in  such  a  night  as  this !  " 

'I  will  adventure!"  said  Ronsard.  'If,  as  you  say, 
it  was  the  King,  I  will  save  him  if  he  can  be  saved !  Once 
a  King's  life  was  nothing  to  me ;  now  it  is  something ! 
The  tide  veers  round  these  Islands,  and  the  vessel  on 
which  they  have  placed  the  body  of  Lotys,  can  scarcely 
drift  away  from  the  circle  till  morning,  unless  the  waves 
are  too  strong  for  it " 

"  They  are  too  strong !  "  cried  the  coral-fisher ;  "  Ron- 
sard, believe  me !  There  is  no  rain  to  soften  or  abate 
the  wind  —  and  the  sea  grows  greater  with  every  breath 
of  the  rising  gale !  " 

"  I  care  nothing !  "  replied  Ronsard  ;  "  Let  be !  If  you 
are  afraid,  I  will  go  alone !  " 

At  these  words,  the  Professor  suddenly  awoke  to  the 
situation. 


Abdication  539 

"  What  would  you  attempt,  Ronsarcl  ?  "  he  exclaimed ; 
"  You  can  do  nothing !  You  are  weak  and  ailing !  —  there 
is  no  force  in  you  to  combat  with  the  elements  on  such  a 
night  as  this " 

"There  is  force!"  said  Ronsarcl;  "The  force  of  my 
thirst  for  atonement!  Let  me  be,  for  God's  sake!  Let 
me  do  something  useful  in  my  life!  —  let  me  try  to  save 
the  King!    If  1  die,  so  much  the  better." 

"  Then  I  will  go  with  you !  "  said  Von  Glauben, 
desperately. 

Ronsard  shook  his  head. 

"  You  ?  No,  my  friend !  You  will  not !  You  will 
remain  to  welcome  Gloria  —  to  tell  her  that  I  loved  her 
to  the  last !  —  that  I  did  my  best !  " 

He  seemed  to  have  grown  young  in  an  instant,  —  his 
eyes  flashed  with  alertness  and  vigour,  and  instead  of  an 
old  decaying  man,  full  of  cares  and  despondencies,  he 
seemed  like  a  bold  adventurer,  before  whom  a  new  land 
of  promise  opens.  Von  Glauben  looked  at  him,  and  in 
a  moment  made  up  his  mind.  He  turned  to  the  coral- 
fisher. 

"What  think  you  truly  of  the  night,  my  friend?  Is 
it  for  life  or  death  we  go  ?  " 

"  Death  !  Certain  death  !  "  answered  the  man  ;  "  It  is 
madness  to  set  sail  in  such  a  storm  as  this !  " 

'  You  are  married,  no  doubt  ?  And  little  ones  eat  your 
earnings  ?  Ach  so !  Then  you  shall  not  be  asked  to  go 
with  us.  Ronsard,  I  am  ready !  I  can  pull  an  oar  and 
manage  a  sail,  and  I  am  not  afraid  of  death  by  drowning ! 
For  Gloria's  sake,  let  me  go  with  you !  " 

"  For  Gloria's  sake,  stay  here !  "  cried  Ronsard ;  and 
with  an  abrupt  movement  he  escaped  Von  Glauben's  hold, 
and  ran  with  all  the  speed  of  a  boy  out  of  the  cottage 
into  the  garden  beyond. 

Von  Glauben  rushed  after  him,  but  found  himself  in 
the  thicket  of  pines,  trapped  and  hemmed  in  by  the  dark- 
ness of  their  stems  and  branches.  The  wind  was  so  fierce 
and  strong,  that  he  could  scarcely  keep  his  feet,  —  every 
now  and  again  the  moon  flew  out  of  a  great  cloud-pinnacle 
and  glared  on  the  scene,  but  not  with  sufficient  clearness 
to  show  him  his  way.  Yet  he  knew  the  place  well  —  often 
had  he  and  Gloria  trodden  that  path  down  to  the  sea, 


540  "Temporal  Power' 

and  yet  to-night  it  seemed  all  unfamiliar.  How  the  sea 
roared !  Like  a  thousand  lions  clamouring  for  prey ! 
Against  the  rocks  the  rising  billows  hissed  and  screamed, 
rattling  backward  among  stones  and  shells  with  the  grind- 
ing noise  of  artillery  wagons  being  hastily  dragged  off 
a  lost  field  of  battle. 

"  Ronsard !  "  he  called  as  loudly  as  he  could,  and  again 
"  Ronsard !  "  but  his  voice,  big  and  stentorian  though  it 
was,  made  but  the  feeblest  wail  in  the  loud  shriek  of  the 
wind.  Yet  he  stumbled  on  and  on,  and  by  slow  and  diffi- 
cult degrees  found  his  way  down  to  the  foot  of  the  high 
rocks  which  formed  a  pinnacled  wall  between  him  and 
the  sea,  —  the  rocks  he  had  so  often  climbed  with  Gloria, 
and  of  which  she  had  sung  in  such  matchless  tones  of 
triumph  and  tenderness. 

Here,  by  the  sea, 

My  King  crown'd  me  ! 
Wild  ocean  sang  for  my  Coronation, 
With  the  jubilant  voice  of  a  mighty  nation  ! 

The  memory  of  this  song  came  back  to  his  ears  in  a 
ringing  echo,  amid  the  howling  of  the  boisterous  wind, 
which  now  blew  harder  and  harder,  scattering  masses 
of  blown  froth  from  the  waves  in  his  face,  with  flying 
sand  and  light  shells,  and  torn-up  weed.  Scarcely  able 
to  stand  against  it,  he  paused  to  get  his  breath,  realising 
that  it  would  be  worse  than  useless  to  climb  the  rocks 
in  the  teeth  of  such  a  gale,  or  try  to  reach  the  old  accus- 
tomed winding  way  down  to  the  shore.  He  endeavoured 
to  collect  his  scattered  wits ;  —  if  the  ceaseless  onslaught 
of  the  storm  would  only  have  allowed  him  to  think  co- 
herently, he  fancied  he  might  have  found  another  and 
easier  path  to  lead  him  in  the  direction  whither  Ronsard, 
in  his  mad,  but  heroic  impulse,  had  gone.  But  the  gale 
was  so  terrific,  and  the  booming  of  the  great  waves  on 
the  other  side  of  the  rocky  barrier  so  awful,  that  it  seemed 
as  if  the  water  must  be  rolling  in  like  a  solid  wall,  bent 
on  breaking  down  the  coast,  and  grinding  it  to  powder. 
His  heart  ached  heavily  ;  —  tears  rose  to  his  eyes. 

"  What  a  grain  of  dust  I  am  in  this  world  of  storm !  '' 
he  ejaculated;  "Here  I  stand,  —  a  strong  man,  utterly 
useless!     Powerless  to  save  the  life  I  would  die  to  serve! 


Abdication  541 


But  maybe  the  story  is  not  true! --the  man  can  easily 
have  been  mistaken  !  Surely  the  King  would  not  give 
up  all  for  the  sake  of  one  woman's  love!  ' 

But  though  he  said  this  to  himself,  he  knew  that  such 
things  have  been  ;  indeed,  that  they  are  common  enough 
throughout  all  history.  He  had  not  studied  humanity  to 
so  little  purpose  as  not  to  be  aware  that  there  are  certain 
phases  of  the  passion  of  love  which  make  havoc  of  a  man's 
wisest  and  best  intentions  ;  and  that  even  as  Marc  Antony 
lost  all  for  Cleopatra's  smile,  and  Harry  the  Eighth  upset 
a  Church  for  a  woman's  whim,  so  in  modern  days  the 
same  old  story  repeats  itself ;  and  no  matter  how  great 
and  famous  the  position  of  a  king  or  an  emperor,  he  may 
yet  court  and  obtain  his  own  ruin  and  disaster,  ay,  lose 
his  very  Throne  for  love  ;  —  deeming  it  well  lost ! 

Restless,  miserable  and  troubled  by  the  confusion  of 
his  thoughts,  which  seemed  to  run  wild  with  the  wild  wind 
and  the  thundering  sea,  the  unhappy  Professor  retraced 
his  steps  to  the  cottage,  hoping  against  hope  that  Ronsard, 
physically  unable  to  cope  with  the  storm,  would  have  re- 
turned, baffled  in  his  reckless  attempt  to  put  forth  a  boat 
to  sea.  But  the  little  home  was  silent  and  deserted.  There 
was  the  old  man's  empty  chair;  —  the  clock  against  the 
wall  ticked  the  minutes  away  with  a  comfortable  per- 
sistence which  was  aggravating  to  the  nerves ;  the  fire 
was  still  bright.  Before  entering,  Von  Glauben  looked 
up  and  down  everywhere  outside,  but  there  was  no  sign 
of  any  living  creature. 

Nothing  remained  for  him  to  do  but  to  resign  himself 
passively  to  whatsoever  calamity  the  Omnipotent  Forces 
above  him  chose  to  inflict,  —  and  utterly  weary,  baffled 
and  helpless,  he  sank  into  Ronsard's  vacant  chair,  uncon- 
scious that  tears  were  rolling  down  his  face  from  the  ex- 
cess of  his  anxiety  and  exhaustion.  The  shrieking  of  the 
wind,  the  occasional  glare  of  the  moonlight  through  the 
rattling  lattice  windows,  and  the  apparent  rocking  of 
the  very  rafters  above  him  thrilled  him  into  new  and  ever 
recurring  sensations  of  fear  —  yet  he  was  no  coward, 
and  had  often  prided  himself  on  having  '  nerves  of  steel 
and  sinews  of  iron.'  Presently,  he  began  to  see  quaint 
faces  and  figures  in  the  glowing  embers  of  the  fire ;  old 
scraps  of  song  and  legend  haunted  him ;    fragments  of 


5  5 


542  "Temporal  Power 

Heine,  mixed  up  with  long-winded  philosophical  phrases 
of  Schopenhauer,  began  to  make  absurd  contradictions 
and  glaring  contrasts  in  his  mind,  while  he  listened  to 
the  awful  noises  of  the  storm ;  and  the  steady  ticking  of 
the  clock  on  the  wall  worried  him  to  such  an  almost 
childish  degree,  that  had  he  not  thought  how  often  he 
had  seen  Gloria  winding  up  that  clock  and  setting  it  to 
the  right  hour,  he  could  almost  have  torn  it  down  and 
broken  it  to  pieces.  By  and  by,  however,  tired  Nature 
had  her  way,  and  utterly  heavy  and  worn  out  in  mind 
and  body,  and  weary  of  the  disturbed  and  incoherent 
thoughts  in  his  brain,  he  lay  back  and  closed  his  eyes. 
He  would  rest  a  little  while,  he  said  to  himself,  and  '  wait.' 
And  so  he  gradually  fell  asleep,  and  in  his  sleep  wrote, 
so  he  imagined,  a  whole  eloquent  chapter  of  his  '  Political 
History  of  Hunger  '  in  which  he  described  Sergius  Thord 
as  a  despot,  who,  after  proving  false  to  the  cause  of  the 
People,  and  grinding  them  down  by  unlimited  taxation 
such  as  no  Government  had  ever  before  inflicted,  seized 
the  rightful  king  of  the  country,  and  sent  him  away  to 
be  drowned  in  company  with  a  woman  of  the  People, 
whose  body  was  fastened  to  his  by  ropes  and  iron  chains, 
in  the  fashion  of  '  Les  Noyades  '  of  Nantes.  And  he 
thought  that  the  King  rejoiced  in  his  doom,  and  said 
strange  words  like  those  of  the  poet  who  sang  of  a  similar 
story : 

"  For  never  a  man  like  me 
Shall  die  like  me  till  the  whole  world  dies, 
I  shall  drown  with  her,  laughing  for  love,  and  she 
Mix  with  me,  touching  me,  lips  and  eyes  !  " 

Meanwhile,  Ronsard,  true  to  the  instinct  within  him, 
had  fulfilled  his  intention  and  had  put  out  to  sea.  The 
fisherman  who  had  brought  the  tidings  which  had  moved 
him  to  this  desperate  act,  was  too  much  of  a  hero  in 
himself  to  let  the  old  man  venture  forth  alone,  —  and  so, 
following  him  down  to  the  shore,  had,  despite  all  com- 
mands and  entreaties  to  the  contrary,  insisted  on  going 
with  him.  The  sailing  skiff  he  owned  was  a  strong  boat, 
stoutly  built,  —  and  at  first  it  seemed  as  if  their  efforts 
to  ride  the  mountainous  billows  would  be  crowned  with 
success.     Old  Rene  had  a  true  genius  for  the  manage- 


Abdication  543 


ment  of  a  sail ;  his  watchfulness  never  flagged :  —  his 
strenuous  exertions  would  have  /lone  credit  to  a  man  less 
than  half  his  age.  With  delicate  precision  he  guided  the 
ropes,  as  a  jockey  might  have  guided  the  reins  of  a  race- 
horse, and  the  vessel  rose  and  fell  lightly  over  the  great 
waves,  with  such  ease  and  rapidity,  that  the  man  who 
accompanied  him  and  took  the  helm,  an  experienced  sailor 
himself,  began  to  feel  confident  that  after  all  the  voyage 
might  not  be  altogether  futile. 

'  The  sea  may  be  calmer  further  out  from  land !  "  he 
shouted  to  Rene,  who  nodded  a  quiet  aquiescence,  while 
he  kept  his  eyes  earnestly  fixed  on  the  horizon,  which  the 
occasional  brightness  of  the  moon  showed  up  like  a  line 
of  fretted  silver.  Everywhere  he  scanned  the  waves  for 
a  glimpse  of  the  fatal  vessel  bearing  Death  —  and  perhaps 
Life  —  on  board  ;  but  over  the  whole  expanse  of  the  un- 
dulating hills  and  valleys  of  wild  water,  there  was  no 
speck  of  a  boat  to  be  seen  save  their  own.  They  swept 
on  and  on,  the  wind  aiding  them  with  savage  violence  — 
when  suddenly  the  man  at  the  helm  shouted  excitedly : 

'  Ronsard !  See  yonder !  There  she  sails  !  " 
With  an  exclamation  of  joy,  Ronsard  sprang  up,  and 
looking,  saw  within  what  seemed  an  apparently  short 
distance,  the  drifting  funeral-barque  he  sought.  So  far 
she  seemed  intact ;  her  sails  were  bellying  out  full  to  the 
wind,  and  she  was  rising  and  plunging  bravely  over  the 
great  breakers,  which  rolled  on  in  interminable  array,  one 
over  the  other,  —  with  rugged  foam-crests  that  sprang 
like  fountains  to  the  sky.  A  five  or  ten  minutes'  run 
with  the  wind  would  surely  bring  them  alongside,  —  and 
Ronsard  turned  with  an  eager  will  to  his  work  once  more. 
Over  the  heads  of  the  monstrous  waves,  rising  with  their 
hills,  sinking  in  their  valleys,  he  guided  the  few  yielding 
planks  that  were  between  him  and  destruction,  trimming 
the  straining  sail  to  the  ferocious  wind,  and  ever  keeping 
his  eyes  fixed  on  the  vessel  which  was  the  object  of  his 
search,  —  the  sole  aim  and  end  of  his  reckless  voyage, 
and  which  seemed  now  to  recede,  and  then  to  almost 
disappear,  the  more  earnestly  he  strove  to  reach  it. 

'  To  save  the  King !  "  he  muttered  —  "  To  save  —  not 
to  kill !     For  Gloria's  sake !  —  to  save  the  King !  " 

A  capricious  gust  from  the  beating  wings  of  the  storm 


544  "Temporal  Power' 

swooped  down  upon  him  sideways,  as  he  twisted  the 
ropes  and  tugged  at  them  in  a  herculean  effort  to  balance 
the  plunging  boat  and  keep  her  upright,  —  and  in  the 
loud  serpent-like  hiss  of  the  waves  around  him,  he  did  not 
hear  his  companion's  wild  warning  cry  —  a  cry  of  de- 
spair and  farewell  in  one!  A  toppling  dark-green  mass 
of  water,  moving  on  shoreward,  lifted  itself  quite  sud- 
denly, as  it  were,  to  its  full  height,  as  though  to  stare  at 
the  puny  human  creatures  who  thus  had  dared  to  oppose 
the  fury  of  the  elements,  and  then,  leaping  forward  like 
a  devouring  monster,  broke  over  their  frail  skiff,  sweep- 
ing the  sail  off  like  a  strip  of  ribbon,  snapping  the  mast 
and  rolling  over  and  over  them  with  a  thousand  heads  of 
foam  that,  spouting  upwards,  again  fell  into  dark  cav- 
ernous deeps,  covering  and  dragging  down  everything 
on  the  surface  with  a  tumult  and  roar !  It  passed  on 
thundering,  —  but  left  a  blank  behind  it.  Skiff  and  men 
had  vanished,  —  and  not  a  trace  of  the  wreck  floated 
on  the  angry  waves ! 

For  one  blinding  second,  Ronsard,  buffeting  the  wild 
waves,  saw  the  face  of  Gloria,  —  that  best-beloved  fair 
face,  —  angelic,  pitying,  loving  to  the  last,  —  shine  on  him 
like  a  star  in  the  darkness !  —  the  next  he  was  whelmed 
into  the  silence  of  the  million  dead  worlds  beneath  the 
sea !  So  at  last  he  paid  his  life's  full  debt.  So,  at  last 
his  atonement  was  fulfilled.  If  it  was  true,  —  as  he  had 
in  an  unguarded  moment  confessed,  —  that  he  had  once 
killed  a  King,  then  the  resistless  Law  of  Compensation 
had  worked  its  way  with  him,  —  inasmuch  as  he  had 
been  forced  to  render  up  what  he  cherished  most,  —  the 
love  of  Gloria,  —  to  the  son  of  a  King,  and  had  ended 
his  days  in  an  effort  to  save  the  life  of  a  King!  For  the 
rest,  whatever  the  real  nature  of  his  long-hidden  secret,  — 
whatever  the  extent  of  the  torture  he  had  suffered  in  his 
conscience,  his  earthly  punishment  was  over;  and  the 
story  of  his  past  crime  would  never  be  known  to  the 
living  world  of  men.  One  sinner,  —  one  sufferer  among 
many  millions,  he  was  but  a  floating  straw  on  the  vast 
whirlpools  of  Time,  —  and  whether  he  prayed  for  pardon 
and  obtained  it,  whether  he  had  worked  out  his  own  sal- 
vation or  had  lost  it,  may  not  be  known  of  him,  or  of 
any  of  us,  till  God  makes  up  the  sum  of  life,  in  which 


Abdication  545 

perchance  none  of  even  the  smallest  numerals  shall  be 
found  missing ! 

Wilder  grew  the  night,  and  more  tempestuous  the  sea, 
while  the  sky  became  a  mountainous  landscape  of  black 
and  white  clouds  fitfully  illumined  by  the  moon,  which 
appeared  to  run  over  their  fleecy  pinnacles  and  sable 
plains  like  some  scared  white  creature  pursued  by  invisi- 
ble foes.  The  vessel  on  which  the  corpse  of  Lotys  lay, 
palled  in  purple,  and  decked  with  flowers,  flew  over  the 
waves,  to  all  seeming  with  the  same  hunted  rapidity  as 
the  moon  rushed  through  the  heavens,  —  and  so  far, 
though  her  masts  bent  reed-like  in  the  wind,  and  her 
sails  strained  at  their  cordage,  she  had  come  to  no  harm. 
Tossed  about  as  she  was,  rudderless  and  solitary,  there 
was  something  almost  miraculous  in  the  way  she  had 
weathered  a  storm  in  which  many  a  well-guided  ship 
must  inevitably  have  gone  down.  The  purple  pall  with 
its  heavy  fringe  of  gold,  that  shrouded  the  coffin  she 
carried,  was  drenched  through  and  through  by  the  sea, 
and  the  flowers  on  the  deck  were  beaten  and  drowned 
in  the  salt  spray  that  dashed  over  them. 

But  amid  all  the  ruined  blossoms  of  earth,  by  the  side 
of  the  dead,  and  full-fronted  to  the  tempest,  stood  one 
living  man,  for  whom  life  had  no  charm,  and  death  no 
terror  —  the  King !  What  had  been  reported  of  him  was 
true  —  he  had  resigned  his  Throne  and  left  his  kingdom 
for  the  sake  of  adventuring  forth  on  this  great  voyage 
of  Discovery,  —  this  swift  and  stormy  sail  with  Lotys 
to  the  Land  of  the  Unknown  !  Whether  it  was  a  madness, 
or  a  sick  dream  that  fevered  his  blood,  he  knew  not  — 
but  once  the  woman  he  loved  was  dead,  every  hope,  every 
ambition  in  him  died  too  —  and  he  felt  himself  to  be  a 
mere  corpse  of  clay,  unwillingly  dragged  about  by  a 
passionate  soul  that  longed,  and  strove,  and  fought  in 
its  shell  for  larger  freedom.  All  his  life,  so  to  speak, 
save  for  the  last  few  months,  he  had  been  a  prisoner ;  — 
he  had  never,  as  he  had  himself  declared,  known  the 
sweetness  of  liberty ;  —  but  for  the  sake  of  Lotys,  —  had 
she  lived,  —  he  would  have  been  content  to  still  wear  the 
chains  of  monarchy,  and  would  have  endeavoured  to 
accomplish  such  good  as  he  might,  and  make  such  reforms 
as  could  possibly  benefit  his  country.     But,  after  all,  it 

35 


546  "Temporal  Power' 

is  only  a  '  possibility  '  that  any  reforms  will  avail  to  satisfy 
any  people  long ;  and  he  was  philosopher  and  student 
enough  to  know  that  whatsoever  good  one  may  endeavour 
to  do  for  the  wider  happiness  and  satisfaction  of  the 
multitude,  they  are  as  likely  as  not  to  turn  and  cry  out  — 
'  Thy  good  is  our  evil !  Thy  love  to  us  is  but  thine  own 
serving!  "  —  and  so  turn  and  rend  their  best  benefactors. 
With  the  loss  of  Lotys,  he  lost  the  one  mainspring  of 
faith  and  enthusiasm  which  would  have  helped  him  to 
match  himself  against  his  destiny  and  do  battle  with  it. 
A  great  weariness  seized  upon  him,  —  a  longing  for  some 
wider  scope  of  action  than  such  futile  work  as  that  of 
governing,  or  attempting  to  govern,  a  handful  of  units 
whose  momentary  Order  was  bound,  in  a  certain  period 
of  time  to  lapse  into  Disorder  —  then  into  Order  again, 
and  so  on  till  the  end  of  all. 

Hence  his  resolve  to  sail  the  seas  with  Lotys  to  that 
'  other  side  of  Death  '  of  which  she  had  spoken,  —  that 
'  other  side  '  which  an  inward  instinct  told  him  was  not 
Death,  but  Life!  He  could  not  of  himself  analyse  the 
emotions  which  moved  him.  He  could  not  take  the 
measure  of  his  grief ;  it  was  too  wide  and  too  painful. 
He  might  have  said  with  Heine:  "  Go,  prepare  me  a  bier 
of  strong  wood,  longer  than  the  bridge  at  Mayence,  and 
bring  twelve  giants  stronger  than  the  vigorous  St.  Chris- 
topher of  Cologne  Cathedral  on  the  Rhine ;  —  they  will 
carry  the  coffin  and  fling  it  in  the  sea,  —  so  large  a  coffin 
needs  a  large  grave !  Would  you  know  why  the  bier 
must  be  so  long  and  large?  With  myself,  I  lay  there  at 
the  same  time  all  my  love  and  my  sorrow !  " 

Sovereignty,  —  a  throne,  —  a  kingdom,  —  even  an  Em- 
pire —  seemed  poor  without  love  to  grace  them.  Had 
he  never  known  the  pure  ideal  passion,  he  would  still 
have  missed  it ;  —  but  having  known  it  —  having  felt  its 
power  environing  him  day  and  night  with  a  holy  and 
spiritual  tenderness,  he  could  not  but  follow  it  when  it 
was  withdrawn  —  follow  it,  ay,  even  into  the  realms  of 
blackest  night !  Like  the  '  Pilgrim  of  Love,'  delineated 
by  one  of  the  greatest  painters  in  the  world,  he  recked 
nothing  of  the  darkness  closing  in,  —  of  the  pain  and 
bewilderment  of  the  road,  which  could  only  lead  to  inter- 
minable, inexplicable  mystery; --he  felt  the  hand  of  the 


Abdication  547 


great  Angel  upon  him  —  the  Angel  of  Love  whom  alone 
he  cared  to  serve,  —  and  if  Love's  way  led  to  Death,  why 
then  Death  would  be  surely  as  sweet  as  Love !  A  great  and 
almost  divine  calm  had  taken  possession  of  him  from  the 
moment  he  had  fulfilled  his  intention  of  boarding  the  ship 
which  carried  away  from  him  all  that  was  mortal  of  the 
woman  he  had  secretly  idolised.  The  wild  turbulence  of 
Nature  around  him  had  only  intensified  his  perfect  content. 
He  had  pleased  himself  by  taking  care  of  the  sleeping 
Lotys  —  such  tender  care !  He  had  tried  to  shield  her 
coffin  from  the  onslaughts  of  the  fierce  waves ;  he  had 
protected  many  of  the  funeral  flowers  from  destruction, 
and  had  lifted  the  gold  fringe  of  the  purple  pall  many  and 
many  a  time  out  of  the  drenching  spray  cast  over  it. 
There  was  a  strange  delight  in  doing  this.  Lotys  knew ! 
That  was  his  chief  reflection.  And  '  on  the  other  side  of 
Death,'  as  she  had  said,  they  would  meet  —  and  to  that 
'  other  side  '  they  were  sailing  together  with  all  the  speed 
Heaven's  own  forces  could  give  to  their  journey.  Oh, 
that  '  other  side  '  !  What  brightness,  what  peace,  what 
glory,  what  mutual  comprehension,  what  deep  and  perfect 
and  undisturbed  love  would  be  found  there!  He  smiled 
as  he  watched  the  swollen  and  angry  sea,  —  the  rising 
billows  shouldering  each  other  and  bearing  each  other 
down ;  —  how  much  grander,  how  much  more  spiritual 
and  near  to  God,  he  thought,  was  this  conflict  of  the 
elements,  than  the  petty  wars  of  men !  —  their  desires  of 
conquest,  their  greed  of  gold,  their  thirst  for  temporal 
power ! 

"  My  Lotys !  "  he  said  aloud ;  "  You  knew  the  world ! 
You  knew  the  littleness  of  worldly  ambition !  You  knew 
that  there  is  only  one  thing  worth  living  and  dying  for, 
and  that  is  Love !  Your  heart  was  all  love,  my  Lotys ! 
Deprived  of  love  for  yourself,  you  gave  all  you  had  to 
those  who  needed  it,  and  when  you  found  my  love  for 
you  might  do  me  harm  in  the  People's  honour,  you  sacri- 
ficed your  life!  Alas,  my  Lotys!  If  you  could  but  have 
realised  that  through  you,  and  the  love  of  you,  I  a  King, 
who  had  long  missed  my  vocation,  could  alone  be  truly 
worthy  of  sovereignty  !  " 

He  laid  his  hand  on  her  coffin  with  a  tender  touch, 
as  though  to  soothe  its  quiet  occupant. 


54§ 


"  Temporal  Power 


>  j 


"  My  beloved !  "  he  said,  "  We  shall  meet  very  soon !  — 
very  soon  now !  '  on  the  other  side  of  death  '  —  and  God 
will  understand,  —  and  be  pitiful !  "' 

The  storm  now  seemed  to  be  at  its  height.  The  mon- 
strous waves,  as  they  arose  to  combat  the  frail  vessel  in 
her  swift  career,  made  a  bellowing  clamour,  and  once 
or  twice  the  ship  reeled  and  staggered,  as  though  about 
to  lurch  forward  and  go  under.  But  the  King  felt  no 
fear,  —  no  horror  of  his  approaching  fate.  He  watched 
the  wild  scene  with  interest,  even  with  appreciation,  — 
as  an  artist  or  painter  might  watch  the  changes  in  a 
landscape  which  he  purposes  immortalising.  His  past 
life  appeared  to  him  like  a  picture  in  a  magic  crystal,  — 
blurred  and  uncertain,  —  a  mist  of  shapes  without  de- 
cided meaning  or  colour.  He  thought  of  the  beautiful 
cold  Queen,  his  wife,  —  and  wondered  whether  she  would 
weep  for  his  loss. 

"  Not  she !  "  — .and  he  almost  smiled  at  the  idea  — 
"  Perhaps  there  will  be  a  ballad  written  about  it  —  and 
she  will  listen,  unchanged,  unmoved  —  as  she  listened 
that  night  when  her  minstrels  sang : 

'  We  shall  drift  along  till  we  both  grow  old  — 
Looking  back  on  the  days  that  have  passed  us  by, 
When  "  what  might  have  been,"  can  no  longer  be, — 
When  I  lost  you  and  you  lost  me  ! ' 

That  was  a  quaint  song  —  and  a  true  one !  She  will  not 
weep !  " 

Then  he  went  over  in  memory  the  various  scenes  of  his 
life  —  brilliant,  useless,  and  without  results  —  when  he 
was  Heir- Apparent ;  —  he  thought  of  his  two  young  sons, 
Rupert  and  Cyprian,  who  were  as  indifferent  to  him  as 
young  foals  to  their  sire,  —  and  anon,  his  mind  turned 
more  tenderly  to  his  eldest-born,  Prince  Humphry,  and 
the  fair  girl  he  had  so  boldly  wedded,  —  the  happy  twain, 
who,  returning  homeward,  would  find  the  Throne  ready 
for  their  occupancy,  and  a  whole  nation  waiting  to  wel- 
come them. 

"  God  bless  them  both !  "  he  said  aloud,  lifting  his  calm 
eyes  to  the  wild  heavens  —  "  They  have  the  one  shield 
and  buckler  against  all  misfortune  —  Love !  And  I  thank- 
God  that  I  have  not  the  sin  upon  my  conscience  of  having 


Abdication  549 

broken  that  shield  away  from  them;  or  of  having  forced 
their  young  lives  asunder!  Wiser  than  1,  they  took  their 
own  way  and  kept  it !  —  may  they  so  keep  it  always  !  " 

Then  a  thought  of  '  the  People  '  came  to  him  —  the 
People  who  had  latterly  taken  to  idolising  him,  and  mak- 
ing of  him  a  hero  greater  than  any  monarch  whose  deeds 
have  ever  been  glorified  since  history  began. 

'  They  will  forget !  "  he  said  —  "  Nowadays  Nations 
have  short  memories !  Battles  and  conquests,  defeats  and 
victories  pass  over  the  national  mind  as  rapidly  and 
changefully  as  the  clouds  are  flying  over  the  sky  to-night ! 
—  the  People  remember  neither  their  disgraces  nor  their 
triumphs  in  the  life  of  individual  Self  which  absorbs  each 
little  unit.  Their  idolatry  of  one  monarch  quickly  changes 
to  their  idolatry  of  another !  I  shall  perhaps  be  regretted 
for  six  months  as  my  father  was  —  and  then  —  consigned 
with  my  ancestors  to  oblivion !  Nothing  so  beautiful  or 
so  gladdening  to  the  heart  of  a  Monarch  as  the  love 
of  his  People !  —  but  —  at  the  same  time  —  nothing  so 
changeable  or  uncertain  as  such  love !  —  nothing  so  purely 
temporal !  And  nothing  so  desperately  sad,  so  irreme- 
diably tragic  as  the  death  of  kings !  " 

Rapidly  he  reviewed  the  situation  —  the  new  Ministry, 
the  new  Government  members  were  elected  —  and  busi- 
ness would  begin  again  immediately  after  the  Crown 
Prince's  return.  All  the  reforms  he  had  been  prepared  to 
carry  out,  would  be  effected,  —  and  then  would  come  the 
new  King's  Coronation.  What  a  dazzling  picture  of 
resplendent  beauty  would  be  seen  in  Gloria,  robed  and 
crowned !  His  heart  beat  rapidly  at  the  mere  contempla- 
tion of  it.  For  himself  he  had  no  thought  —  save  to 
realise  that  the  strange  manner  of  his  disappearance  from 
his  kingdom  would  probably  only  awaken  a  sense  of  re- 
sentment in  '  society,'  and  a  vague  superstition  among  the 
masses,  who  would  for  a  long  time  cling  to  the  belief 
that  he  was  not  dead,  but  that  like  King  Arthur  he  had 
only  gone  to  the  '  island  valley  of  Avillion  '  to  "  heal  him 
of  his  grievous  wound,"  —  from  which  deep  vale  of  rest 
he  would  return,  rejoicing  in  his  strength  again.  Sergius 
Thord  would  know  the  truth  —  for  to  Sergius  Thord  he 
had  written  the  truth.  And  the  letter  would  reach  him 
this  very  night  —  this  night  of  his  last  earthly  voyage. 


550  "Temporal  Power' 

"  When  his  great  sorrow  has  abated,"  he  said,  "  he  too 
will  forget !  He  has  all  his  work  to  do  —  all  his  career  to 
make  —  and  he  will  make  it  well  and  nobly !  Even  for 
his  sake,  and  for  his  future,  it  is  well  that  I  am  gone  — 
for  if  he  ever  came  to  know,  —  if  he  were  to  guess  even 
remotely,  through  Zouche's  ravings,  or  some  other  means, 
the  reason  why  Lotys  killed  herself,  he  would  hate  me,  — 
and  with  justice!  He  loves  the  People  —  he  will  serve 
their  Cause  better  than  I !  " 

The  moon  stared  whitely  out  of  a  cloud  just  then,  — 
and  to  his  amazement  and  awe,  he  suddenly  perceived  the 
black  shadow  of  a  man  lifting  itself  slowly,  slowly  from 
the  hold  of  the  ship,  like  a  massive  bulk,  or  ghost  in  the 
gloom.  Unable  to  imagine  what  this  might  be,  or  how 
any  other  human  creature  save  himself  would  venture  to 
sail  with  the  dead  on  a  voyage  whose  end  could  be  but 
destruction,  he  advanced  a  step  towards  that  looming 
shape,  and  started  back  with  a  cry,  as  he  recognised  the 
very  man  he  had  been  thinking  of  —  Sergius  Thord  ! 

"  Sergius !  "  he  cried  aghast. 

"  King !  "  and  Thord  looked  scarcely  human  in  the  pale 
fleeting  moonbeams,  as  he  too  stared  in  half-maddened 
wonder  at  the  face  and  form  of  a  companion  on  this 
dread  journey  such  as  he  had  never  expected  to  see. 
"  What  do  you  here  in  the  midst  of  the  sea  and  the 
storm  ?  You  should  be  at  home !  —  playing  the  fool  in 
your  Palace !  —  giving  audiences  on  your  throne !  —  you 
—  you  have  no  right  to  die  with  Lotys,  whom  I  loved !  " 

"With  Lotys  whom  you  loved!"  echoed  the  King; 
"You  loved  her  —  true!     But  I  loved  her  more!" 

"You  lie!"  said  Thord,  furiously;  'No  man  —  no 
King,  —  no  Emperor  of  all  the  world,  could  ever  have 
loved  Lotys  as  I  loved  her!  These  great  waves  waiting 
to  devour  us  —  dead  and  living  together  —  are  not  more 
insatiate  in  their  passion  for  us  than  I  in  my  passion  for 
Lotys  !  I  loved  her !  —  and  when  she  scorned  me  —  when 
she  rejected  me,  —  when  she  openly  confessed  that  she 
loved  you  —  the  King  —  what  remained  for  her  but 
death !  Death,  rather  than  dishonour  at  your  Royal 
hands,  Sir !  "  And  he  laughed  fiercely  —  a  laugh  with 
the  ring  of  madness  in  it.  "  I  rescued  her  as  a  child  from 
starvation  and  misery  —  and  so  I  may  say  I  gave  her  her 


Abdication  551 

life.  What  I  gave,  I  took  again  —  I  had  the  right  to  take 
it!  I  would  not  see  her  shamed  by  you  --  dishonoured 
by  you  —  branded  by  you !  —  I  did  the  only  thing  left 
to  me  to  save  her  from  you  —  I  killed  her !  " 

With  a  loud  cry  the  King,  no  longer  so  much  king  as 
man,  with  every  passion  roused,  sprang  at  him. 

"You  killed  her?  Oh,  treacherous  devil!  They  said 
she  killed  herself!  " 

"  Hands  off!  "  cried  Thord,  suddenly  pointing  a  pistol 
at  him ;  "  I  will  shoot  you  as  readily  as  I  shot  her  if  you 
touch  me !  She  killed  herself  you  think  ?  Oh,  yes  —  in  a 
strange  way !  Her  last  words  were :  '  Say  I  did  it  myself ! 
Tell  the  King  I  did  it  myself !  '  A  lie !  All  women  are 
fond  of  lying.  But  her  lie  was  to  protect  Me !  Her  last 
thought  was  for  my  defence,  —  not  yours  !  Her  last  wish 
was  to  save  Me,  not  you !  —  King  though  you  are  —  lover 
though  you  craved  to  be !  I  say  I  murdered  her !  This  is 
my  Day  of  Fate,  —  the  day  on  which  it  seems  that  Heaven 
itself  has  drawn  lots  with  me  to  kill  a  King!  Why  did 
I  ever  relax  my  hate  of  you  ?  It  was  inborn  in  me  —  a 
part  of  me,  —  my  very  life,  the  utmost  portion  of  my 
work  !  I  called  you  friend  ;  —  I  curse  myself  that  I  ever 
did  so !  —  for  from  the  first  you  were  my  enemy  —  my 
rival  in  the  love  of  Lotys !  What  did  I  care  for  the 
People  ?  What  did  you  ?  We  were  both  at  one  in  the  love 
of  the  same  woman !  And  now  I  am  here  to  die  with  her 
alone !  Alone,  I  say  —  do  you  hear  me  ?  I  will  be  alone 
with  her  to  the  last  —  you  shall  not  share  with  us  in  our 
sea  burial !  I  will  die  beside  her,  —  all,  all  alone !  —  and 
drift  out  with  her  to  the  darkness  of  the  grave,  to  meet 
my  fate  with  her  —  always  with  her,  —  whether  her  spirit 
lead  me  to  Hell  or  to  Heaven !  " 

His  insensate  frenzy  was  so  desperate,  so  terrible,  that 
by  its  very  force  the  strange  mental  composure  of  the 
King  became  intensified.  Quietly  folding  his  arms,  he 
took  his  stand  by  the  coffin  of  the  dead  in  silence.  The 
dashing  spray  that  leaped  at  the  masts  of  the  vessel,  —  the 
wind  that  scooped  up  the  billows  into  higher  and  higher 
pinnacles  of  emerald  green,  might  have  been  soundless 
and  powerless,  for  all  he  seemed  to  hear  or  to  heed. 

"  Why  are  you  with  us  ?  "  cried  Thord  again  —  "  How 
came  you  on  this  ship,  where  I  thought  I  had  hidden  my- 


5  5  2  "  Temporal  Power  ' 

self  alone  with  her,  voyaging  to  Death?  Could  you  not 
have  left  her  to  me  ?  —  you  who  have  a  throne  and  king- 
dom —  I,  to  whom  she  was  all  my  life !  " 

"  I  came  —  as  you  have  come  "  —  answered  the  King 

—  "to  die  with  her  —  or  rather  not  to  die,  but  to  find  Life 
with  her !    She  loved  me !  " 

With  a  savage  curse,  Thord  raised  the  pistol  he  held. 
The  King  looked  him  full  in  the  eyes. 

'  Take  good  aim,  Sergius  !  "  he  said  tranquilly  —  "  For 
here  between  us  lies  Lotys  —  the  silent  witness  of  your 
deed !  Go  hence,  if  you  must,  with  two  murders  on  your 
soul !  There  is  no  escape  from  death  for  either  you  or  me, 
take  it  how  we  may ;  —  and  I  care  not  at  all  how  I  meet 
it,  whether  at  your  hands  or  in  the  waves  of  the  sea !  Give 
me  the  same  death  you  gave  to  Lotys !  I  ask  no  better 
end  !    For  so  at  least  shall  we  meet  more  quickly !  " 

Half  choked  with  his  fury,  Thord  looked  at  him  with 
fixed  and  glassy  eyes.  He  was  jealous  of  death!  —  jeal- 
ous that  death  should  of  itself  seem  to  reunite  Lotys  and 
the  man  she  had  loved  more  closely  together !  Standing 
erect  by  the  purple  pall  that  covered  the  one  woman  of 
the  world  to  them  both,  the  King  looked  '  every  inch  a 
king,'  —  the  incarnation  of  pride,  love,  resolve  and  cour- 
age. With  a  sudden  wild-beast  cry,  Thord  sprang  at  him 
and  caught  his  arm  with  one  hand,  the  pistol  grasped  in 
the  other. 

'  Too  near !  "  he  gasped ;  '  You  shall  not  stand  too 
near  her !  — -  you  shall  not  die  so  close  to  her !  —  you 
shall  not  have  the  barest  chance  of  resting  where  she 
sleeps !  " 

He  fell  back,  as  the  King's  calm  eyes  regarded  him 
steadfastly,  imperiously,  almost  commandingly,  without 
a  trace  of  fear.     He  trembled. 

'  Do  '  not  look  so !  ':  he  muttered ;  '  I  cannot  kill 
you ! not  if  you  look  so ! " 

Raising  the  pistol,  he  took  apparent  aim.  The  King 
stood  unmoved,  only  murmuring  softly  to  himself :  '  On 
the  other  side  of  Death,  my  Lotys  !  —  On  the  other  side ! ' 

There  was  a  loud  report,  a  crash  in  his  ears then 

—  as  he  staggered  back,  stunned  by  the  shock,  he  saw  that 
he  was  untouched,  unhurt.  Thord  had  turned,  the  pistol 
against  his  own  breast,  and  reeling  backward,  with  a  last 


Abdication  553 

supreme  effort,  dragged  his  sinking  body  to  the  vessel's 
edge. 

"God  save  your  Majesty!''  he  cried  wildly;  'Tell 
Lotys  I  did  it  myself !    God  knows  that  is  true !  " 

The  wild  waves,  clambering  up  over  the  deck  rushed  at 
him,  and  an  enormous  foam-crested  billow,  higher  and 
stronger  than  all  the  rest,  beat  at  the  mast  of  the  vessel 
and  snapped  it  in  twain.  It  came  down,  dragging  the  sail 
with  it  in  a  tangle  of  cordage,  and  with  that  sail  the  name 
of  '  Lotys  '  inscribed  upon  it  was  whirled  furiously  out  to 
sea.  The  body  of  the  vessel,  now  netted  in  a  mass  of  ropes 
and  rigging,  began  to  roll  helplessly  in  the  trough  of  the 
waves,  and  the  corpse  of  Thord,  sinking  under  it  as  it 
plunged,  was  swept  away  like  a  leaf  in  the  storm !  Gone, 
his  wild  heart  and  wilder  brain !  —  gone  his  restless  am- 
bition, —  gone  his  unsatisfied  love  —  his  fierce  passions, 
his  glimmerings  of  a  noble  nature  which  if  trained  and 
guided,  might  have  worked  to  noblest  ends.  Like  many 
would-be  leaders  of  men,  he  could  not  lead  himself  —  like 
many  who  seek  to  control  law,  and  revolutionise  the 
world,  he  had  been  unable  to  master  his  own  desperate 
soul.  He  was  not  the  first,  —  he  will  not  be  the  last,  — 
who  for  purely  personal  ends  has  sought  to  '  serve  the 
People  ' !  The  disinterested,  the  impersonal  and  unselfish 
Leader  has  yet  to  come,  —  and  if  he  ever  does  come,  it  is 
more  than  probable  that  those  for  whom  he  gives  his  life, 
will  be  the  first  to  crucify  his  soul,  and  cry  '  Thou  hast  a 
devil!  ' 

Death  was  now  sole  commander  of  the  ocean  that  night ! 
And  the  King  of  a  mere  little  earth-country,  realised  to 
the  full  that  he  stood  irrevocably  face  to  face  with  the  last 
great  Enemy  of  Empires.  Yet  never  had  he  looked  more 
truly  imperial,  —  never  more  superbly  the  incarnation  of 
life!  A  mighty  exultation  began  to  stir  within  him  —  a 
consciousness  that  he,  despite  all  the  terrors  of  the  grave, 
would  still  come  forth  the  conqueror  !  The  waves,  leaping 
at  him,  were  friends,  not  foes,  —  the  moon  shedding 
ghostly  glamours  on  the  watery  wilderness,  smiled  as 
though  she  knew  that  he  would  soon  be  a  partaker  in  the 
secrets  of  all  Nature,  and  solve  the  mystery  of  existence, 
—  there  was  a  singing  in  his  ears  as  of  voices  triumphant, 
which  swelled  with  the  passion  of  a  mighty  anthem,  — ■ 


554  "Temporal  Power' 

and  with  the  quietest  mind  and  calmest  brain  he  found 
himself  musing  on  life  and  death  as  if  he  were  already 
a  witness  apart,  of  their  strange  phenomena.  Thord's 
appearance  on  the  same  ship  in  which  he  and  Lotys  were 
passengers,  seemed  to  him  quite  simple  and  natural,  — 
Thord's  death  moved  him  to  a  certain  grave  compassion, 
—  but  the  whole  swift  circumstance  had  been  so  dream- 
like, that  he  had  no  time  to  think  of  it,  or  regret  it,  —  and 
the  only  active  consciousness  his  mind  held  was  that  he 
and  Lotys  were  journeying  to  4  the  other  side'  ;  —  that 
'  other  side  '  which  he  now  felt  so  near  and  sure,  that  he 
could  almost  declare  he  saw  the  living  presence  of  the 
woman  he  loved  arisen  from  the  dead  and  standing  near 
him ! 

The  ocean  widened  out  interminably,  and  he  saw,  look- 
ing ahead,  a  great  heap  of  gigantic  billows,  leaping,  spar- 
kling, tossing,  climbing  over  each  other  in  the  fitful  light 
of  the  moon,  like  huge  sea-monsters  waiting  to  devour 
and  engulf  him.  He  smiled  as  he  felt  the  yielding  craft 
on  which  he  stood  swirl  towards  those  breakers,  and  begin 
to  part  asunder,  —  so  would  he  have  smiled  on  a  battle- 
field facing  his  foes,  and  fronted  with  fiery  cannon !  The 
glory  of  Empire,  —  the  splendour  of  Sovereignty,  —  the 
pride  and  panoply  of  Temporal  Power!  How  infinitely 
trivial  seemed  all  these  compared  with  the  mighty  force 
of  a  resistless  love !  How  slight  the  boasted  '  supremacy  ' 
of  man  with  his  laws  and  creeds,  matched  against  the 
wrath  of  the  conflicting  sea,  —  the  sure  and  swift  ap- 
proach of  inexorable  Death !  Under  the  depths  of  the 
ocean  which  this  ruler  of  a  kingdom  traversed  for  the 
last  time,  lay  a  lost  Continent,  —  fallen  dynasties  —  for- 
gotten civilisations,  wonderful  and  endless  —  kings  and 
queens  and  heroes  once  famous  —  and  now  as  blotted 
out  of  memory  as  though  they  had  never  been ! 

"If  thou  could'st  see  a  thousand  fathoms  down, 
Thou  would'st  behold  'mid  rock  and  shingle  brown  — 
The  shapeless  wreck  of  temple,  tower  and"  town, — 
The  bones  of  Empires  sleeping  their  last  sleep, 
Their  names  as  dead  as  if  they  never  bore 
Crown  or  dominion  !  " 

With  keen  and  watchful  eyes  he  measured  the  swiftly 
lessening  distance  between  him  and  the  glittering,  turn- 


Abdication  555 

bling  whirlpool  of  waves  —  he  felt  the  weight  of  the  wind 
bearing  against  the  drifting  vessel  —  the  end  was  very 
near !  Standing  by  the  dead  Lotys,  he  prayed  silently  — 
prayed  strangely,  —  in  words  borrowed  from  no  Church 
formula,  but  as  they  came,  straight  from  his  heart - 
prayed  that  God  might  not  be  a  Dream  —  that  Love 
might  not  be  a  Snare  —  and  Death  might  not  be  an  End  ! 
So  do  we  all  pray  when  the  last  dread  moment  of  disso- 
lution comes  —  when  no  priest's  assurance  can  comfort 
us  —  and  when  the  greatest  King  in  the  world  is  but  a 
poor  ordinary  human  soul,  ignorant  and  forlorn,  shudder- 
ing on  the  verge  of  eternal  Judgment ! 

A  mountainous  billow  broke  over  the  deck,  half  stun- 
ning him  with  the  shock  of  its  cold  onslaught,  and  sweep- 
ing the  coffin  of  Lotys  almost  over  the  edge  of  the  vessel. 
He  threw  himself  beside  that  dreary  casket,  fastening  his 
own  body  with  strong  rope  knotted  many  times,  to  its 
heavy  leaden  mass,  resolved  to  sink  with  it  painlessly,  and 
without  a  struggle.  So,  —  in  perfect  passiveness,  —  he 
awaited  his  end.  Suddenly,  —  as  if  a  bell  had  chimed  in 
the  distance,  or  a  voice  had  sung  some  old  familiar  song 
in  his  ears,  —  he  saw,  clearly  visioned  in  all  the  flying 
spray  of  the  tempest  a  face !  —  not  the  face  of  Lotys  — 
but  a  soft,  childish,  piteous  little  countenance,  framed  in 
curling  tendrils  of  hair,  with  trusting  sweet  eyes,  raised 
to  his  own  in  holiest,  simplest  confidence!  So  pure,  so 
fair  a  face !  —  so  pathetically  loving !  —  where  had  he 
seen  it  before  ?  All  at  once  he  remembered,  —  and  sprang 
up  with  a  sharp  cry  of  pain.  Why,  why  had  this  frail 
ghost  of  the  past  flown  out  of  the  darkness  of  sea  and 
storm  to  confront  him  now  ?  The  ghost  of  his  first  young 
love !  —  the  clinging,  fond,  credulous  creature  who  had 
gone  to  her  death  uncomplainingly  for  his  sake  —  with 
only  the  one  little  cry  of  farewell--'  My  love!  Forgive 
me !  '  Why  should  he  think  of  her  ?  —  why  should  he  see 
her  before  him  at  this  supreme  moment  when  Death  stared 
him  in  the  face,  and  his  spirit  hovered  on  the  edge  of 
Infinity  ?  "  Vengeance  is  mine !  —  I  will  repay,  saith  the 
Lord!"  His  first  love!  —  so  lightly  won  —  so  cruelly 
betrayed  !  Tears  rushed  to  his  eyes,  —  he  thought  of  the 
wrong  done  to  a  perfectly  pure  and  blameless  life  —  a 
wrong  he  had  forgotten  in  all  these  years  —  till  now  ! 


556  "Temporal  Power' 

"  Oh  God !  "  he  cried  aloud  —  "  Forgive  me !  Forgive 
my  weakness,  my  selfishness,  my  many  wasted  years ! 
Let  not  her  face  forever  come  between  thy  redeeming 
Angel,  Lotys,  and  my  soul !  " 

The  tumultuous  breakers  rushing  now  with  a  great 
swoop  at  the  vessel,  snatched  and  tore  at  him.  He  nerved 
himself  to  look  again,  —  once  again,  and  for  the  last  time, 
across  the  great  wilderness  of  warring  waters !  The 
moon  now  shone  brightly,  —  the  clouds  were  parting  on 
either  side  of  her,  rolling  up  in  huge  masses,  white  and 
glistening  as  Alpine  peaks  of  snow  —  the  wind  had  not 
lessened,  and  the  fury  of  the  sea  was  still  unabated.  But 
the  fair  childish  face  had  vanished,  —  and  only  the  clear 
salt  spray  dashed  in  his  eyes  and  blinded  them,  —  only 
the  salt  waves  clambered  round  him,  drawing  him  towards 
them  in  a  cold  embrace ! 

'  On  the  other  side,'  my  Lotys !  "  he  said  —  "  God  be 
merciful  to  us  both  !  —  'on  the  other  side  ' !  " 

For  one  moment  the  breaking  vessel  paused  shudder- 
ingly  on  the  edge  of  the  seething  whirlpool  of  waves, 
which,  meeting  in  a  centre  of  tidal  commotion,  leaped  at 
her,  and  began  steadily  to  suck  her  down.  For  one  mo- 
ment the  moonbeams  fell  purely  on  the  calm  upturned 
face  of  the  King,  who  like  others  allied  to  him  in  king- 
ship throughout  history,  had  esteemed  mere  sovereignty 
valueless  at  the  cost  of  Love !  For  kings,  —  though  sur- 
rounded with  flatterers  and  sycophants  who  seek  to  make 
them  imagine  themselves  somewhat  more  than  human,  — 
are  but  men,  with  all  men's  vain  sins  and  passions,  mad 
weaknesses  and  wild  dreams ;  and  when  they  love,  they 
love  as  foolishly  as  commoners,  —  and  when  they  die,  as 
die  they  must,  there  is  no  difference  in  the  actual  way  of 
death  than  is  known  to  a  pauper.  More  gold  and  purple 
on  the  one  side,  —  more  straw  and  sackcloth  on  the  other, 
—  but  the  solemnity  and  equality  of  Death  itself,  is  the 
same  in  both.  And  as  this  dying  King  well  knew,  the 
People  care  little  who  governs  them,  provided  bread  is 
cheap,  and  labour  well  paid.  He  is  greatest  who  gives 
them  most,  —  and  he  is  the  most  applauded  who  allows 
them  the  most  liberty  of  action !  The  personality,  the 
complex  nature,  the  character,  the  temptations,  the  mind- 
sufferings  of  a  King,  as  man  merely,  are  less  than  nothing 


Abdication  557 

to  the  multitude  who  run  to  follow  and  to  cheer  him.  If 
he  were  once  to  complain,  he  would  be  condemned;  — 
and  if  he  asked  from  his  crowding  flatterers  the  bread  of 
sympathy,  they  would  give  him  but  a  stone ! 

The  moon  smiled  — the  stars  flashed  fitfully  through 
the  clouds,  —  and  all  through  the  length  and  breadth  of 
ocean  there  seemed  to  come  the  sound  of  a  great  psalm- 
ody, rising  and  filling  the  air.  It  surged  on  the  King's 
ears,  as  with  hands  clasped  on  the  drenched  lilies  strewn 
over  the  sleeping  Lotys,  he  welcomed  the  coming  Un- 
veiling of  the  Beyond  !  And  then  —  the  waters  rose  up, 
and  caught  living  and  dead  together,  and  dragged  them 
down  with  a  triumphal  rush  and  roar,  —  clown,  down  to 
that  grand  Unconsciousness,  —  that  sublime  Pause  in 
the  chain  of  existence,  —  that  longer  Sleep,  from  which 
we  shall  wake  refreshed  and  strong  again,  —  ready  to 
learn  Where  we  have  failed,  Why  we  have  loved,  and 
How  we  have  lost.  But  of  things  temporal  there  shall  be 
no  duration,  —  neither  Sovereignty  nor  Supremacy,  nor 
Power ;  only  Love,  which  makes  weak  the  strongest,  and 
governs  the  proudest ;  —  and  of  things  eternal  we  know 
naught  save  that  Love,  always  Love,  is  still  the  centre  of 
the  Universe,  and  that  even  to  redeem  the  sins  of  the 
world,  God  Himself  could  find  no  surer  way  than  through 
Love,  born  of  Woman  into  Life. 

******* 

***** 

*  *  * 

Days  passed,  —  and  angry  Ocean  gradually  smoothed 
out  its  frowning  furrows,  spreading  a  surface  darkly-blue 
and  peaceful,  under  a  cloudless  arch  of  sky.  And  one 
night,  —  when  the  moon,  like  a  golden  cup  in  heaven, 
emptied  her  sparkling  wine  of  radiance  over  the  gently 
heaving  waves,  a  fair  ship  speeding  swiftly  with  all  the 
force  of  steam  and  sail,  with  flags  fluttering  from  every 
mast,  and  sounds  of  music  echoing  from  her  lighted 
saloons,  came  flying  over  the  billows  like  a  glorious  white- 
winged  bird  soaring  to  its  home  on  an  errand  of  joy.  On 
her  deck  stood  Gloria,  —  happily  ignorant  of  all  calamity, 
—  watching  with  dreamy,  thoughtful  eyes  the  lessening 
lengths  of  sea  between  her  and  the  land  she  loved.     The 


5$8  "Temporal  Power" 

Crown  Prince,  her  husband,  —  now  King,  though  he  knew 
it  not,  —  stood  beside  her  ;  —  his  handsome  face  bright- 
ened by  a  smile  which  expressed  his  heart's  elation,  his 
soul's  deep  peace  and  inward  content.  Naught  knew  these 
wedded  lovers  of  the  strange  reception  awaiting  them ; 
of  the  half-mourning,  half-rejoicing  people,  —  of  na- 
tional flags  suddenly  veiled  in  crape,  —  of  black  funeral- 
streamers  set  distractedly  amidst  gay  bridal  garlands ;  — 
of  a  widowed  Queen,  broken-hearted  and  despairing, 
weeping  vainly  for  the  love  she  had  so  long  misprized, 
and  had  learned  too  late  to  value,  —  of  a  Crown  resigned, 
—  of  the  lost  Majesty  and  hero  of  a  nation's  idolatry ;  — 
of  the  death  of  Ronsard,  and  the  inexplicable  disappear- 
ance of  the  famous  Socialist  leader,  Sergius  Thord, — and 
of  all  the  strange  and  tragic  history  of  vanished  lives, 
even  to  that  of  Sir  Roger  de  Launay  whom  no  man  ever 
saw  again,  —  which  it  fell  to  their  faithful  friend,  Hein- 
rich  von  Glauben  to  relate,  with  passionate  grief  and 
many  tears.  They  knew  nothing.  They  only  saw  home 
and  the  future  before  them,  shining  in  bright  hues  of  hope 
and  promise ;  for  Love  was  with  them,  —  and  through 
Love  alone  —  love  for  the  nation,  love  for  the  people,  love 
for  each  other,  —  they  purposed,  God  willing,  to  faith- 
fully fulfil  whatever  destiny  might  be  theirs,  whether  for- 
tunate or  disastrous !  Thus  minded,  they  could  see  no 
evil  in  the  world,  —  no  mischief,  —  no  ominous  crossings 
of  Fate,  —  they  had  all  earth  and  all  heaven  in  each  other ! 
And  the  gay  ship  bearing  them  onward,  danced  over  the 
smiling,  singing,  siren  waves,  as  if  she  too  had  a  human 
heart  to  feel  and  rejoice !  —  and  in  her  swift  course  swept 
lightly  over  the  very  spot,  now  tranquil  and  radiant, 
where  but  a  short  while  since,  the  body  of  Lotys  had  gone 
down,  companioned  by  the  King.  Gloria  leaning  over  the 
deck-rail  looked  dreamily  into  the  sparkling  water. 

'  The  storm  we  met  has  left  no  trace !  "  she  said ;   "  It 
was  but  a  passing  hurricane !  " 

Her  husband  came  to  her  side,  and  they  stood  together 
in  silence.  Sweet  harmonies  floating  upwards  from  the 
saloon  below,  where  a  company  of  musicians  and  singers 
were  stationed  to  charm  the  evenings  of  the  Royal  pair 
with  '  sounds  more  dulcet  than  Heaven's  own  dulcimers  ' 
held  them  attentive.    The  tender  tones  of  an  undetermined 


Abdication  559 

melody  rose  and  fell  on  the  quiet  air,  —  they  listened, 
drawing  closer  and  closer  to  each  other,  till  it  seemed  as 
if  but  one  heart  beat  between  them,  —  as  if  but  one  Soul 
aspired,  —  Archangel-like,  —  from  their  two  lives  to 
Heaven !  And  Gloria,  with  a  sigh  of  perfect  happiness, 
murmured  softly,  — 

'  How  beautiful  the  night !  How  calm  the  sea !  ': 
So  sped  they  onward,  —  with  Love  to  steer  them  ;  with 
Love  to  bring  them  safely  through  the  brief  cloud  of 
sorrow  and  wonder  hanging  over  the  kingdom  to  which 
they  wended,  —  with  Love  to  guide  their  lives  through 
all  difficulty  and  danger,  and  to  give  them  all  the  good 
that  Love  alone  can  give !  For  whether  the  days  be  dark 
or  bright, : —  whether  tempest  fills  the  air,  or  sunshine 
illumines  the  sky,  —  whether  we  are  followed  with  fair 
blessing  from  friends,  or  pursued  with  the  hate,  envy 
and  slander  of  injurious  foes,  —  whether  we  drown  by 
choice  in  tempestuous  waters  of  passion,  or  float  securely 
to  the  shores  of  peace,  —  whether  our  ships  are  bound 
for  Death  or  for  Life,  we  are  safe  in  the  hands  of  Love ! 
And  in  the  midst  of  what  the  world  deems  storm  and 
wreckage,  we  can  gaze  into  the  deeper  depths  of  God's 
meaning  with  trustful  eyes,  and  sail  on  our  voyage  fear- 
lessly, —  on,  even  to  the  Grave  and  beyond  it !  ■ —  for 
with  Love  at  the  helm,  how  beautiful  is  the  Night !  — 
how  calm  the  Sea! 


THE   END 


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